A Son For A Son
by Glimare
Summary: Robin's been kidnapped. Big surprise. Lex Luthor's behind it. Bit of a surprise. Superboy is the ransom demand? That's new. How will things go down? How will everyone take their choices? What makes family, family? What makes life, life? So many questions plague the two young heroes, but they have to find the answers themselves. T for mild language and touchy themes
1. Huston, We Have a Problem

**Disclaimer:** it is with a heavy heart that I must tell you all that I cannot possibly own anything young justice. These characters all belong to DC comics, no matter how much we all agree that the people currently in charge are being stupid with golden characters. Plotted their deaths once. Wasn't much of a plot so I scrapped it and just let them be. This plot is so much better.

This takes place between seasons one and two and based off of the common fact that Su... ya know what? I'll explain that after the penny drops. Extra points to whomever recognizes the quotes I used for chapter headings (sadly not all of them are quotes). SPECIAL NOTE: this story is completed, edited twice over and about 30 chapters long. Do not make suggestions or get upset if I didn't use your ideas. If you guess what happens, kudos to you! Go get a cookie! But other than telling people to space out their work so it's easier to read, I _try_ to not tell people how to write. I do answer questions in PMs, even give out spoilers, so ask question! I love to talk. I just don't answer them here.

All that said, hopefully daily updates (site's been weird lately), and yes I drew the picture. Enjoy!

**_Beta'ed by thwipthwipity_**

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**_A Son for a Son_**

**1 - Huston, We Have a Problem**

A high pitched signal is what brought them there. Luthor sent it from his favorite building in Metropolis, calling both of them. Batman didn't like being carried through the air, but considering the circumstances, he had no choice but to accept Superman's help. The bald CEO smirked in his chair, his message still on his computer screen. It was a simple one, and very direct. It was sure to get the ones he wanted to talk to's attention.

_Attention Superman and Batman:_

_If you wish to see Robin alive and happy again, come straight to my office._

Soon enough, the deemed world's finest were on his balcony, charging inside. It was a good thing he left the glass doors open or the dark knight and man of tomorrow would have broken each one getting in. The looks on their faces though... if he were a lesser man he would be scared to death. As it was, they were just... amusing.

"I see you received my message."

Batman stormed up to the megalomaniac, yanking him to his feet by his lapels. "WHERE IS HE?!"

"Temper temper Batman. Didn't your father ever tell you this is not a way to get what you want?"

If possible the Bat only became angrier. He was beginning to see why this man was the most feared in the League, but only just. He was after all just a man. The gods he fought beside were, to him, much more frightening. The mortal's teeth clenched together just as he threw him against the wall. Not the brightest move on the man's part.

"Better answer the question Luthor," Superman jibed. He also was scowling fiery death at him, but kept himself at bay. "Batman has a lot less rules than I do."

"What did you do with Robin?!" Batman dropped to one knee before the slouched man, grabbing him by his coat again and giving it a firm shake.

"My, have we been looking for the lad all night?" A fist was raised to start pummeling him for answers, and that was something he did not want to experience. "If anything happens to me, you will only see him as Ra's al Ghul's servant, if he remains alive."

That stopped the man from making any wrong moves. Such a sentimental man. His assumption had to be correct. Seeing he had the man's attention, both of them, Lex smirked to himself. Teach them a thing or two about messing with him. They glared at each other for a moment, then Batman released him, letting him get to his feet. Both he and the man of steel though loomed over him dangerously.

Straightening his tie, Luthor gave them all a smug smirk. Having that boy as leverage was possibly the best deal yet. Still business must be done. And crossing the Bat for too long was never a good idea. The angry bat growled this time, barely in control. "Where is Robin?"

"Safe, and nowhere near here I assure you. Nor in any building you'll be able to connect to me." He looked the dark knight squarely in the eyes, showing no fear. He had the upper hand after all. "I've made sure he was off the books and in safe hands. No harm will come to him, so long as you behave."

"You plan on extorting me?" There was a fury there he'd never seen before, and one he knew not to test for too long. He wouldn't get away with this for long.

"As amusing as that may be, even I am not that brave. You'd only bide your time and operate a rescue, or the boy would find a way to release himself. No, I'm offering a trade. A son for a son.

"Give me back Superboy and I'll return Robin to you."

If someone dropped a pin in that room, you could hear it two floors down.

"What?" It was unclear who said it louder, Batman or Superman, but both were in shock from the deal. This trade.

Luthor smirked pleasantly. "Isn't it clear enough already? You have my son, Superboy, in your custody. I have yours. You return what's mine, and I'll give you back what's yours. Willingly."

"Are you out of your mind?!" Superman spoke up, enraged now. "Superboy is not your son!"

"I financed his creation, I did the numbers and had a hand in the science, and I contributed DNA for his creation." His smirk only became broader. He could see the pieces falling into place on the Kryptonian's face, though the Bat became still as marble. "He is more my son than yours. I knew about him from the beginning and I have an open door for him if he ever wanted it. I was always willing to take him home.

"Only thing stopping him is some idea that you, his other genetic donor, gives enough of a damn about him to give him some sense of purpose. You've painted me as a villain, and yet you hardly give him any attention." He cocked his head to the side in mock consideration. "Do you claim to be his father now? After a year?"

"Why you-"

"Why now?" Batman interrupted them before an argument could start. "Why are you so interested in him now? Desperate to get him back?"

Lex kept his face composed, giving nothing away. He had his reasons, but he wasn't about to share them with these two. "Can't a man just want to be with his son? Superboy means more to me than you... no, more than Superman here can imagine.

"Superboy for Robin. You don't have to choose now of course, and I'm certain you'll want to talk it over with him. But do know," a dark smile came to his face, "I only have so much control over my associates. Every day you drag your feet, the more likely it is you won't be seeing him again. If I do not contact them once every so many hours, they will take him to a place I don't even know, so taking me hostage or putting me in the hospital won't be helping him.

"For the next forty-eight hours I can guarantee his safety. After that, it'll become harder. While in my care he will be well taken care of, as Superboy has been. No harm will come to the boy if I have any say in the matter, but I won't always have a say. Understood?"

Batman's eyes narrowed dangerously on him before snapping around and heading towards the window. Superman jerked his head around to his dark friend, enraged and shocked at the same time. "Batman?!"

"We'll be in touch," the detective stated flatly, taking a grapple off of his belt to shoot over to the next building (likely after a free-fall, as this was the highest building in Metropolis).

"You know where to find me." The infamous Bat disappeared from view, but the alien lingered. After watching his ally vanish, Superman snapped his eyes on the millionaire. Lex raised an amused eyebrow. "Is there a problem?"

"You're not going to get away with this Luthor." The Kryptonian nearly snarled at him. "You aren't getting Superboy and you can't keep Robin. We will stop you."

A broad smile graced his face as the man of steel left his office. "I'm looking forward to seeing you try."

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A/N: We really have a problem here! X3 Robin is so much fun to kidnap and use as leverage, and it works nearly every time. Nearly. Dick's his own wildcard. Conner for Dickybird! This is how it all starts. Let's see where this takes us shall we?


	2. It's Called Plausible Deniability

YAY! You like it! I had a lot of fun reading reviews after work today. you make me feel fuzzy inside. XD anywho, we're gonna have a scenario I always wonder about with real life kidnappings. What do they do when the captive needs to go potty? Enjoy!

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**2 - It's Called Plausible Deniability**

"Hey, I need to go to the bathroom."

Steve Hawes, a former marine and now a guard of Throul Storage, couldn't help but look at the boy in the specially secured room he was guarding. Steve's dishwater blond hair was stringy and longer than the military liked, but they didn't cover his forest green eyes yet. Tanned and freckled, it was hard not to see his clear European decent. Little taller than average, and muscular from training, he earned his place in the core, but didn't like it much. Orders weren't really his thing. Too bad he was married with two kids and a third on the way, else he'd be happy as a vagrant worker. He needed this job, for his family. If he didn't need it so much, he wouldn't be there guarding a superhero's sidekick.

Robin the boy wonder. A legend in his own right. And he was there making sure the kid didn't escape.

Well looking at the kid now, he couldn't call him a kid. Had to be fourteen by now, a sassy one at that. He was strangely calm for a young man clamped to an 'X' like cross, kept behind a thick wall of Plexiglas and six inches of lead lined cinderblock on the other sides. There was a bed, toilet, and sink in the room, but the teen woke up strapped to his cross spread-eagle. The young hero's cape was missing, along with his belt, but he looked relatively unharmed. There was a small device to the side of the glass to let small things in, but no other signs of a door. Steve could only guess the glass moved up or down to open, and the holes in the glass was the only thing giving the kid air (there were quite a few thankfully so he wasn't scared of the kid suffocating). It looked impossible to get out of.

"Um... hello! Mr. Kidnapper? I need to go potty!" Robin's voice told him plainly how annoyed he was about all this, not a single drop of fear anywhere in him. It was as if this was nothing. Routine even. "I can go right here but then you'll have to clean up a mess."

Steve jerked out of his thoughts, realizing the kid was awake. He spent too long trying to figure out why the kid was there and zoned off. "Huh? You talking to me?"

"Noooo... I'm talking to the other guy who strapped me to this thing." Sarcasm dripped from the boy's lips. "Can you please get me out of this thing so I can empty my bladder and colon? It's getting rather painful ya know."

"Right..." The guard put a hand on a panel next to the small item distributor to the side of the glass. Instantly the cuffs keeping the young man on the board released, telling him go. When the boy took a step forward, the giant 'X' slid into the floor, vanishing from view. Both of them were impressed by it, nearly forgetting why he was released from it for a moment. "The can's over there."

"And... how many cameras are there?" Robin looked around suspiciously.

Steve groaned and turned his back. "Look, the most privacy you're getting is from me. Just take care of your business already."

With his back turned to the little hero, he had to rely on his ears to make sure the guy used the toilet. Well at least the kid wasn't lying about having to go. He heard enough sounds to confirm it, along with an "Ahhh... Much better."

"Tell me when you're decent."

That won a laugh from the kid. "You're a strange one. My last kidnapper was more interested in seeing me tied up shirtless. And the one before that was using me for target practice."

"I'm not a kidnapper."

"Could have fooled me." He could hear the guy come closer to the Plexiglas. "I mean, I'm not in Gotham anymore right? Pretty sure I was knocked out and tossed into some kind of subway rocket. Don't remember how I got strapped to that board though."

"I wasn't part of that." Honestly Steve wasn't. He was just a guard for the site. How the guy got there and why he was there wasn't his concern. Just keep his head down and do his job. That was all he was supposed to do. Guard the place, guard the kid.

"Then what are you... part of..." Hearing the bird boy's voice become weaker and frustrated instead of sarcastic made him turn fully around. The man cocked an eyebrow at him as he watched the kid scowl at his glove, as if it was supposed to do a trick. Looked like a normal glove to him. "Damn it."

"Watch your tongue."

His snap made the boy look over to him in surprise. "What?"

"Don't go swearing like that. What would your mother say?" Call him old fashioned, but he didn't like swearing. Reason two why he left the marines.

His words struck a chord with the lad, making him slump over a bit. A slightly sad smirk came to his face. "Probably make me muck out the cages... Well, not much she can do here now can she? Seeing as I'm trapped in this cell and she's not."

"Well I'm here and I don't appreciate such foul language coming from a child. So don't." The parent part of Steve was talking at that point in time. The other part of him, the part that realized who this kid was, was dropping his jaw at his nerve. Was he really putting Robin in line? Over one word?

The kid must have rolled his eyes. "What cha gonna do about it? Put me in a cell? Tie me to the bed? Bet your mom would be proud..."

"That I'm taking responsibility for my actions and providing a roof for my family? Yeah, she would be." He looked to the side shaking his head. Was he really having an argument with a high schooler? Sheesh... "Some of us have to work for a living."

"Including keeping teens in little boxes as pets?" Robin was less than amused, especially as he continued to search himself. Frustration grew on his face with each passing second.

"Hey," he started, glaring at the boy, "I just guard the place. I'm being paid three times my usual monthly pay just to keep you company for a few days. They promised that'd be all, and that nothing bad would happen to you."

"You honestly believe them?" The teen shook his head, clearly not seeing things the way he did.

"Of course I do," Steve stated flatly. "I'm going to make sure that's what happens. I'm not without my own bag of tricks you know."

"What about when you have to go to the bathroom? Or eat?" Robin folded his arms, glaring challengingly at him.

He pointed to a number ten can not too far away. "That's for me. Another guy will be changing it and bringing us food later. Got a stock of water over here too."

"And what about sleep?" The teen raised an eyebrow at him. "You can't keep an eye on me forever."

Steve smirked. "Don't worry about me sleeping on the job. If I do, it'll be so light, no one can come in without my knowing. I can go a week without sleep."

A pout appeared on the acrobat's face. "And if Batman or the League or someone else pops up?"

That gained a laugh. "I have no intention of fighting the good guys. I'm here to keep you safe and healthy. I'm sure they'll understand when I step aside. May even get me a better job. But both of us are in solitary here until this is over. Clear?"

Robin watched him for a good long minute, seemingly sizing him up. "I guess... Can you get me out of here?"

The man shook his head. "They only gave me two codes. One to get you out of that X thing and the other to hand you food with. There's a compartment on this side I can drop things in, and then they'll be transferred to your side. And one thing I'm not is a tech wiz. If you want to get out of that thing, you're on your own."

Steve Hawes threw his hands in the air, almost as if he was giving up. He had no idea who kidnapped the kid, just knew his employer had a contract with someone for the space and he was supposed to guard it for the next two to three days. When bossman came by again, he could leave. That was when Robin was no longer his problem.

If he managed to live through this, he might be able to drop a call on the Justice League tip hotline. He was not a criminal. He wasn't a bad man. He didn't like this anymore than the kid did. But he didn't have much of a choice either. '_Goes to show you should never volunteer for something you don't know all the details to._'

Robin looked at him for a long while, then nodded, making some kind of decision. "Can I get some water then? And I want to see you taste test it first."

The man sighed and nodded. This was going to be a long few days.

* * *

A/N: Like the bodyguard? Hope so. He's like one of the Doctor's companions. If you get that, Allons-y! XD If not, I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry. Ten points if you know what I've been watching.

Okay, jokes aside, I try really hard to make Robin's prisons and kidnappings impressive and hard to get out of if I don't want him to escape. This one is probably one of my best yet. Still working on several others and I don't think I repeat any of them. The X shaped cross is something I got from the jonah Hex movie, and yeah that's what they're called. Anywho, tomorrow Superboy finds out. EDIT: I've been informed they're called Saltires or the Saint Andrew's Cross. Bit late to adjust the story, but this is what I've learned lately and I felt you all should know. May use the proper term next time. ^^;


	3. An Offer He Can't Refuse

Someone commented that this was a completely new idea earlier and it got me wondering if that was true (so sure it wasn't). Turns out if you put Luthor and Connor's name in the filter, only 16 stories come up under this category. Just their names, no other filters. So weird... Hope some fell through the cracks. Otherwise, get crackin' people!

Anywho, please enjoy Conner's reactions. Warning: I did mention a touchy subject in the beginning, it's coming up a little now. It's also kinda funny if you think about it long enough.

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**3 - An Offer He Can't Refuse**

"Me?" Conner looked up at the two men he'd grown to respect and admire so much in the past year. "He wants me?"

Batman nodded, not liking it any more than the teen. Superman just showed it a lot more, almost as if he were throwing a childish tantrum. "In exchange for Robin. Luthor wants a willing trade off. A son for a son."

"Lex Luthor is not my father!" The clone practically leapt to the ceiling in rage. It was one thing he hated most about himself. Having that man's DNA in him was a curse more than a blessing. The only good thing about having human DNA in him was how it stabilized his mind.

"Not according to his paperwork, or the legal system," the dark knight pointed out. It was something no one had brought up, not liking the facts. "According to the law, Superboy is property of Lex Luthor and Cadmus Labs. He has a legal claim to you, one we've expressly ignored."

"He can't own me!" Conner knew the laws. He knew how to counteract these papers. "That's slavery! And the US Constitution says-"

"I know what the Constitution says," the Bat interjected again. "Under most circumstances you'd win your independence that way, but there's the question of your birth and from there a good lawyer can put on debate whether you're a person or an animal or a machine. They could deem clones as property instead of as people, and you'd have no rights whatsoever."

"That's not fair!"

"No it isn't," he stated, "but that's how the legal system works. According to the law, you're a runaway or an abducted child, if you're considered a person. If not, you're stolen property."

"So why didn't Luthor use the law against us before?" Superman objected, having stayed silent because he didn't trust his mouth. The same thoughts kept running through his head and they weren't going to win any arguments.

"It would require explaining Superboy's nature," Batman explained. "It could easily be seen as Luthor wanting a child with you. This would open up new avenues for him, and he doesn't want those particular ones quite yet."

The idea made both Kryptonians cringe and shiver in distaste. That was quite an image to put together. The mortal continued. "It would also require exposing Cadmus and other cloning projects. That is something he's not ready for. Showing us the paperwork was a veiled threat of what he could do, not what he would. We have no legal claim to Superboy."

"But-" "That's not-"

"To Superboy. Project Kr." Batman glared at both of them. "Conner Kent, Kon-El, they are yours alone. The adoption papers are being finalized as we speak for you and your parents. If Superboy had disappeared after being released and been a normal teenager with them, he could have no claim. But you've been seen and are an online rumor. If the public never saw you, his legal claim would only expose himself. He has no claim to Conner."

Though that did settle one part in their minds, it still didn't solve the problem. Saddened, Conner looked Batman straight in the eye. "But he wants me in exchange for Robin."

"Yes," he murmured. "He does."

"We'll find another way," Superman insisted. "We'll find Robin and the adoption will go as planned. Ma and Pa can't wait to see how you do on the farm. And Robin will hate us forever if we let this exchange go down."

"But we only have two days until Luthor's protection is gone right?" Conner looked between them worried. Robin was one person who never doubted him. He was honest when he reacted to the news about his parentage: surprised and wowed, but not scared or judgmental. He asked questions and got to know him. He gave advice and support whenever he could. He laughed both at him and with him. The guy was a friend through and through. He had to help him. "Do you think you can find him in two days?"

"We'll find him," Superman assured him. "I swear it."

Not as reassured as the guy wanted, he looked over to the tactician of the League and their mission commander. Robin's father. "Do you think Luthor will keep his word about keeping Robin safe?"

At first the dark knight didn't answer, thinking through the question and everything about it. He had to reassess everything he knew about Lex Luthor and the Light. After a minute or two of silence, he nodded. "He will. At least for two days. Or rather, for the next forty-five hours. After that we can't be certain."

"Then we better not waste any time." Superman stood up straight and clapped his clone on both shoulders. "Just stay strong and put until this is all over. I'll look over Luthor's strong holds and double check with my sources in Metropolis to find a lead."

"But didn't he say you wouldn't find him in any of his places?" Conner cocked his head, confused.

"One thing I've learned with Luthor is he's a liar." A smirk crossed his face. "He likes to use local people to do his dirty work, and a job like catching Robin would definitely leave a lot of talk on the street. I'll find us a lead.

"But in the meantime," he looked over to Batman, "shouldn't we have Luthor under surveillance? I'm certain the team can keep up with him."

"I'll get on it shortly." Superman nodded, gave both of them encouraging grins, then left. He had work to do.

The clone watched him zip out then came closer to Batman. "He's not going to find him, is he?"

"Luthor prepares for everything," the dark knight explained, "especially Superman. It's harder for him to dodge Clark Kent though. He can find him, but it'll take longer than we have."

Conner looked over everyone's near mentor, listening more than seeing. The man was struggling to keep his heartbeat regular. He was worried out of his mind. "So what are you going to do?"

"Send a squad out to watch Luthor," he stated flatly. "Then back to Gotham to find out how Robin was taken. Say nothing about the offer to the team, and don't tell them about Robin."

"But-"

"Miss Martian will be on the squad, as will Kid Flash. Observation only." It was clear Batman just barely put together who was going and who wasn't just then, entirely based off of who would cause the most trouble if they knew. "You're staying here."

"I can't-"

"You're Luthor's target." An unfamiliar protective glare fell on him, telling him there was no debate. "He'll do anything to get you back. Superman's right, Robin will not stand for you trading places with him. And the Kents will be devastated to lose you. All of them."

They just looked at each other for a moment, the weight of Connor's future weighing on them. Even though he'd only been out of Cadmus for a year, he influenced a lot of lives. And each of them wanted him to stay. "We will do everything in our power to keep you free Conner. I won't sacrifice you for Robin. We will get him back.

"Stay in the cave until further notice." Batman strode out of the room, pressing his earpiece to start calling up particular members of the team. He had a job for them.

Connor's eyes followed him for a minute, whelmed to say the least. Robin was in danger. His life for his friend's. No one was going to let the exchange happen. Luthor was a formidable enemy, prepared for anything. The first few hours after a kidnapping were critical.

There was nothing he could do.

The clone flopped back onto the chair he earlier occupied, his head going straight into his hands. This was his fault. Robin was in danger because of him. If they went after Wally or M'gann, it wouldn't be so cut and dry. If someone else had taken the boy, it'd be easier to find him. But it wasn't. It was Luthor who did it, the man responsible for his creation. As much as he denied it, the man was his father. And he would do whatever he wanted to achieve his goals.

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A/N: Heh heh... somewhere else, I read a fic where a bat joked with Conner about Lex being his mother and that he 'loved' superman so much he had to have his child, and I thought it was so funny, I had to do this. But that was the thing, due to him creating Connor and adding his DNA, Luthor has all legal rights to him. He's his biological parent, whether he likes it or not. At any time, Lex could legally remove him from their custody and press charges against the League, ruining their reputation. Why he hasn't is due to everything mentioned above. yeah... the legal system would win, but the media would have way too much fun with this.

So the rest of the team doesn't know about anything. They're gonna watch luthor for a bit. Supes is gonna do his search thingy, Bats is gonna do his search thingy, and Conner's left alone to brood. And with Robin missing... *insert evil laugh* Recipe for trouble! Have fun!


	4. How'd You Do It?

Now for the big reveal! how on earth Lex managed to snag a Robin? Through a little ingenuity and a lot of luck.

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**4 - How'd You Do It?**

Robin was bored. Very bored. According to Bob out there (the man point blank refused to give him his name and there was no nametag) he'd been locked away there for about half a day. There wasn't really anything to do there except eat, sleep, bathroom, and talk to Bob. His belt was gone, his gloves were damaged so his computer wouldn't work, his spare locator in his 'R' was also broken, and his boots were searched, removing all of his spare gear. They took his cape too, not that it mattered near as much as the rest, but it was still disconcerting. They took everything he could use to escape (plus cape) but nothing that'd expose his identity. Clearly they wanted Robin, not the boy behind the mask.

He didn't know if he should be happy about that or disappointed. Batman would be happy, but also upset he was caught in the first place. As there was nothing else he could really do, the boy wonder started to think about how he got kidnapped this time.

The previous night he was on patrol. They just finished taking down a small gang war and the lad was feeling more energetic than normal. It was wonderful how they managed to stop it without anyone dying. No one was even shot! There were a few who were high and one drunk, but for the most part the break up went cleanly. Over half of them turned tail and ran at the sight of them. Clean, fast, and effective. It was a good night.

"It's too early to head home," Robin insisted. "And too late to go by the cave. How about I go swing through Robbinsville and see if there's any muggings or B&E? I can meet up with you at checkpoint four in an hour."

Batman raised an eyebrow at the teenaged hero. He had been demanding a longer leash lately, feeling he earned it after New Years. The boy wasn't that much of a boy anymore. And it wasn't like he was asking to go to the War Zone or Crime Alley. Robbinsville was rather tame in compare. It wasn't too far away either. If school were still in session he would have fought against it, but it was summer vacation. He had no reason to say no.

"Alright, but only traditional criminals. If you spot-"

"Joker or any of the others, I'll back off and observe, calling you in. I know!" Standard procedure, but it still sucked. He was fourteen for Pete's sake! He'd taken down half the League at one time or another. He could handle an hour in Robbinsville. Bruce was just paranoid. Quickly he shot off a line, smirking to him. "See ya later!"

Not waiting another second, he flew off into the skyline. As much as he loved patrolling with Batman, once in a while he just wanted to fly solo. Robin had way too much energy that night and really wanted to move around. Had to actually. He felt he'd die if he didn't expend this fire burning through him. And the night was just perfect for flying.

It only took fifteen minutes to get to Robbinsville, and he knew for a fact Batman hadn't followed him on his solo expedition. Grinning to himself, he started his patrol through the suburbs there. The place was mostly residential with a few gas stations, a park or two, grocery stores, and Mom and Pop diners. Real low key crime wise, but it wasn't without its own dark history. The place had speakeasies a long time ago. Now they were used for storage and as bomb shelters. In Gotham, those were very valuable.

Robin grinned while landing on one apartment building. This was one of the best parts about the job: patrolling and catching snippets of how normal people lived. Sure he loved the fighting, and the flying, and the super powered friends, and the thrill of the chase... Okay, he loved all of it. This job just rocked. But he loved the still of night when he could just run on rooftops and fly without worrying about being shot every five minutes. If he had someone his age out there with him, or someone younger, he'd be playing tag with them right then.

"Wonder if Bruce would adopt someone else if I asked him to..." The idea of having a younger brother or sister made him grin even broader as he flew through the air. Having siblings would be awesome! Someone he could team up with against Batman, someone to help torment the team, a protégé of his own! So cool!

Absorbed in the idea and plans he could make with a small partner of his own, he flew through the night until he heard a crash. Sounded like a normal breaking and entering. He stopped on top of a deli and looked across the street to where a pawn shop was being raided. It wasn't too far from the subway and was a frequent target for thieves. Judging from that angle, he could see five men going for what was inside. The old couple living just upstairs was thankfully out of town and wasn't going to be caught in the crossfire.

It was the challenge that dragged him in. Five big men, none of them wearing theme costumes or gang signs. Just five thieves. Only people getting hurt were them. Within seconds he was among them, laughing and throwing disks as he kicked and punched each one down. Getting a closer look at these ski-masked men, he knew they were small timers. Only two of them worked out, and only enough to impress the ladies. Shame they were ruining their lives with petty crime.

Using his agility and weapons, Robin handled the men within fifteen minutes. Tying them up took another five, and before he knew it, he was due at check point four. He should have asked for two hours. Sighing a bit, he went over to the store phone and put in a call for the local PD to pick up the garbage and finish the cleanup. The shop owners were going to have quite the shock when they got back. Once he was sure everything there was being handled, he strode out of the shop, grabbing his grapple absently so he could swing off.

That was when something rammed into him, when he wasn't paying attention. Someone actually. Robin was knocked to the side, almost into the building, but reflexively twisted in the air, landing in a crouch and sliding to a stop just as his new attacker came charging at him once again. He barely identified the guy before having to dive to the side to dodge him. Mammoth. What was he doing out of prison? Glaring at the monstrosity, he whipped out his collapsible escrima sticks and set a stunning charge to them. He could take Mammoth.

Unfortunately for him, the guy wasn't alone. Just as he turned to leap and strike at the man, a Taser line struck his back and shot him with a couple thousand volts. Screams ripped out his throat, a couple seconds feeling like an eternity of pain. The voltage stopped and he was on the ground, twitching every other second. His back felt burnt and he could smell smoke, but he couldn't move. It hurt too much, even to tap his emergency beacon.

Mammoth and his sister Shimmer were over him in an instant, smirking to each other in triumph. It was really hard for him to keep his eyes open, but that apparently didn't matter to them. They said something to each other, but his ears were ringing and he couldn't focus. Losing consciousness...

Shimmer bent down and cuffed his wrists tightly together, then his ankles. A blindfold went over his eyes a second later, then he was picked up and thrown over Mammoth's shoulder. It hurt, like most everything else. The air was knocked out of him and the only thing he could see was stars, the imaginary ones that is. Barely awake and aware, he could feel them going down some stairs, then being tossed onto some hard cushions. Shimmer talked to someone for a minute, then there were automatic doors closing. A gruff voice he didn't recognize came next, then the sensation of moving, like on a subway car.

That was all he could remember before waking up strapped to an 'X'. Who knew how long he'd been out. All he knew was he was late to meeting up with Batman when he was taken. More than likely the man was at his last known location about fifteen minutes later, maybe less, and probably worried out of his mind.

Robin looked over to the reflective surface of the glass blocking his exit and turned around to take a look at his back. His suit was supposed to be insulated to stop Taser attacks, but it didn't work this time. There had to be a reason. Looking at his back now, he could vaguely see two holes coming from where he was struck. A slight scowl appeared on his face. Holes? Did that Taser have really good needles that'd go through his Kevlar-nomex cape and suit just to make sure it got him?

'_Someone really did their homework,_' he thought to himself. The boy wonder sighed heavily as he looked around the room for the umpteenth time. No ventilation shafts, all his air came through those holes in the glass. The pipes in the wall were small. His wrist computer was broken. The bed was cemented to the wall. The one open panel there was the delivery system for bottled water and wrapped sandwiches (his food). It was only big enough for those, and one at a time at that. All the controls were on the other side of the wall, and those were too thick and solid for him to break through to gain access to it. He couldn't find a way out of there.

"This royally sucks."

"I bet it does," Bob murmured on the other side of the glass.

* * *

A/N: Yeah, I tried to think of everything. Robin brought to Lex via Mammoth and Shimmer, mostly because of a modified Taser guaranteed to take out a boy wonder. Tried looking up the effects of a taser too just to get this right. The tunnels and rocket I kinda got from Knightfall where Alzbats drove something liek that to get everywhere in Gotham. Oh, and why they took Robin's cape is simple, it interfered with the cross keeping him there. That's all. Please review. Last chapter felt lonely.


	5. Just a Phone Call Away

I think I need to make a safe place to hide soon. Shout all you want, but this thing is 30 chapters long. There's no way I'm keeping Rob in that cell forever. Okay, that aside, watch how the rest of the first day goes. Read, enjoy, and test your vocal cords while I hide in my bed. Couple cute references to another unrelated fic here too now that I think about it...

* * *

**5 - Just a Phone Call Away**

"Soooo... we're watching Lex Luthor... Why?" Wally didn't see the point of watching every one of the cue ball's moves. They'd been at it all day and it was far past dinner time. He was starving! Didn't Batman or Superman have some other kind of surveillance on the guy? Yeah they all knew he was evil, but this guy was a master at making himself look good. They weren't going to get anything on him, at all.

Megan sighed heavily as well, just as bored and anxious as they were. "Because Batman told us to. He wants to know-"

"Who he talks to, when he calls someone on his phone, where he goes, yada yada yada." The speedster was very bored of this. "You'd think he'd want to know what kind of undies he was wearing while he was at it."

"Okay, that's a mental image I want out of my head," Artemis groaned. She was with them, along with Zatanna. Kaldur was helping with something in Atlantis and Rocket had some family issue back in Dakota. And Connor was still finalizing things with the new family of his, the one he wasn't allowed to share any information about because it was also Superman's family. And Robin? He was in Gotham resting up from a long patrol the night before, plus a small problem with some psycho's chemical in his system. As soon as Batman told them what their mission was, he was gone, no further explanations.

So there they were, in Metropolis, mingling with the crowds to keep an eye on the megalomaniac during the day and watching him from rooftops at night. Wally and Artemis were on a date for a cover, occasionally acting foolish, while M'gann changed forms every hour or two to escape detection. Zatanna was a window shopper part of the day and hiding in archways the rest of the time. They followed the man all around town, running rooftops occasionally to keep up with his cars. Thus far they followed the guy to lunch, an inspection of a power plant, a minor company buyout, and hours upon hours of him in the office working. He even returned to the office to do more work after dinner at a fine restaurant. That was hours ago.

It only made the speedster hungrier. "The only image in my head is of me stuffing my face with pizza. Anyone else?"

"I'm in." Artemis got off the short wall she was sitting on. She really wanted to stretch her legs. "How about you Zee? M'gann?"

"Shouldn't one of us stay behind to keep an eye on him?" M'gann was very uncomfortable with this, leaving an assignment without permission.

"You're right." Zatanna grinned impishly at her. "Rock paper scissors? Loser has to stay while the rest go for dinner. No powers."

"Take all the fun in life away," Wally teased. This made the Martian give in and all four of them played. They weren't certain if she read their minds so she'd lose or not, but they didn't care. If she gave in, more power to them.

"Remember to get me some Oreos!" That won a laugh from her friends, which was all she wanted. Smiling, she returned to watching the evil man through her binoculars. One thing Martians didn't have was amazing eyesight. Sighing, she didn't even flinch as the man picked up his phone, again. Same old same old.

Three phone calls and a personal (short) visit later, she was wishing she hadn't thrown the walk to the local fast food place (or grocery store, or pizza parlor, wherever the others ended up). She was so bored! And with no one around to talk to, she couldn't help but grow tired and irritated about all this. At least it was a nice night.

Suddenly Luthor answered the phone and looked very interested. More interested than anything else that'd happen in the past seventeen hours (that's how long they'd been working this case. It sucked). A smile even spread across the man's lips as he talked. He nodded a few times, then looked at the phone in slight surprise. A sudden hang up. But he was still pleased. Very pleased.

M'gann cocked her head in confusion. Was that call the thing they were waiting for? She didn't have super hearing and she couldn't read lips. She had no idea what just happened, but if Lex Luthor, one of the greatest criminal masterminds of their time, was happy about a surprise phone call, it had to be bad for them.

Quickly she jotted down the time and duration of the call like all the others, then put a star next to it. With any luck, this information would help the League in whatever case against him they were working on. If they could find out who called him and what they were talking about that is. Did they even have a functioning tap on that man's phone? She was beginning to get worried.

Five minutes later her friends returned, just as Luthor started packing up for the night (at like three am). "So, we miss anything?"

"Possibly..." She looked over to them and the stack of pizza boxes. Two of them were empty and Wally was working on a third. They had a grocery bag for her as well. They remembered! "Luthor's heading out. He got a call a few minutes ago, maybe one he was waiting for? He seemed really happy to hear from the other person."

"Looks like something's going according to plan then." Wally cringed at Artemis' statement. It was likely she was right.

"Which means we're in trouble."

"Or someone is."

* * *

Batman did not like being summoned by anyone when he was working a personal case, though Gordon was one person he'd allow for. The captain was usually informed about the cases he was working on and consulted. Not this time though. This time it was far too personal and the timing too close. He didn't have time to drop by the precinct.

So a spotlight hitting the clouds originating from Robbinsville instead of Tri-corner was neither appreciated nor expected. The bat on it wasn't even right. Still, he was in the neighborhood. Someone wanted his attention, and they had an idea what was going on. Word of Robin's abduction was limited to three others besides himself. One was at home and another could fly around until he spotted him. "I told you to stay put in the cave."

Conner jerked around to see him, slightly startled. He regained his composure a second later. "I did, and all I could do was think."

A growl grew in the dark knight's voice. "You are not trading yourself for Robin!"

"What choice do we have?!" The young Kryptonian stepped forward, showing no fear. He heard from both Robin and Kal how to deal with him. No fear, don't back down, keep eye contact, and even if you're scared out of your wits, keep them about you. Being short and straight to the point worked best with serious urgent subjects, and making cracks at him which didn't prove a point would only make you lose the debate. "Every second we waste debating about this is another second he's imprisoned. After tomorrow, his protection is gone! How many criminals want to get their hands on Robin?"

The man wouldn't answer that one. The list was too long. Every criminal Batman put away would grab his partner to get leverage on him. Several of them would use torture and others would rape him. Selling the boy for profit wasn't off the table either. Murder was high on the list. And with Luthor putting him on the chopping block, it was more likely to happen. He threatened to let Ra's al Ghul take him, at which point anything really could happen. The longer they had him, the higher the chance they'd find a cloned version of him too. Robin was too important a figure in the crime fighting community to be ignored.

Then there was what would happen if his identity was exposed. All the secrets that boy held would destroy the League and everyone associated with it.

"You and I both know there's an easier way to handle this. A way to assure Robin's safety." Conner glared determined at the Bat, a little guilt entering his face. "I already called Luthor."

"You did WHAT?!" Livid didn't begin to describe how he felt.

"The exchange is tomorrow night, ten o'clock, on top of LexCorp in Bludhaven." He sharpened his glare on the man, driving the point home. "Either you come with me and take him home, or they'll leave him on the rooftop for you or someone else to pick him up."

"Are you out of your mind?!" Robin would never forgive them for this. How could this boy be so foolish?! Well, he did have Superman's DNA running through him. That self-sacrificing idiocy had to be genetic.

"I'm going to do it Batman, whether you like it or not!" Breathless, they just glared at each other for a few minutes. This was a lot harder than the boy thought, and he knew it'd be hard. Batman was not someone to be trifled with, but neither was he.

"Look, I'm not running in blindly. The exchange doesn't happen until tomorrow night. I want us to come up with some kind of plan for all of us to get out of there in one piece. And contingencies in case we can't. Bugs, tracers, anything! I'll go, but I don't plan on staying with that man. I'm not a mindless weapon they can control."

he caped crusader said nothing, just glared at him stone-faced. Conner didn't know if he should keep talking or not, but he wasn't much of a talker. He knew he was right. They both did. Robin once confessed to him the reason he was Robin, was because Batman couldn't stop him from going out and fighting crime on his own. Robin was the compromise. If he made it clear he was doing this no matter what, he could get Batman on his side. It seemed to work with how they made the team too.

A relenting sigh told him it worked this time as well. Who knew the big scary bat could be such a pushover with stubborn kids. "Have you mastered that meditation technique to protect yourself against psychics?"

"Pretty much. I can even tell if M'gann or her uncle are trying to get in."

"That'll defend you to a point from their mind control. Kryptonians don't need to sleep near as much. Avoid it if you are forced to stay with them." He walked over to the beacon and shut it down. "We'll talk more elsewhere. Get in the car."

* * *

A/N: Yeah, the exchange is gonna happen. Not everyone is happy about it too. Imagine how everyone else is gonna take it. X3 AS for the references, I have people calling Lex cue ball and referring to his undies in Daddy, Not Bats just as a joke. I'm gonna go hide now.


	6. The Cooler King

This chapter is kinda filler, but also a little necessary. Time passes. That's all you really need to know. Enjoy!

* * *

**6 - The Cooler King**

To say he was bored was an understatement. That he really missed his morning cereal was an even bigger one. Eating half-sandwiches day in and day out was getting tiresome. Especially since the sandwiches weren't fresh. The bread was slightly stale, the egg salad was dry, the meat was turning to leather, and the cheese was getting hard. And don't even think about the PB&J ones they were given. Bob cringed at that one then threw it in the can.

Egg salad in the morning wasn't really breakfast at all.

"Why didn't they give us some ham on rye?" Robin asked, eating his sandwich slowly. Since his meals were exactly half of what the other guy was given, he wasn't too worried about poison. Bob was actually a pretty decent guy, for a kidnapper/bodyguard.

The man shrugged. "Common sense isn't that common. Back in the marines, they had this notion of scrubbing floors with a toothbrush, then using a broom. At my last job, we had to do things one step at a time, all the way through. It's like they never heard of Henry Ford and his system. What was it called?"

"It'll come to me later." The teen grinned. He was beginning to like this guy. "So, what are you planning to do with your share of the money?"

That made the guard laugh. "My share? Kid, I don't get one. I'm just getting a bonus from my boss, that's all. And with that I'm taking care of some medical bills. Then maybe some extra supplies. What would you do with three months' pay with a $15/hour job? And while staying over time."

The acrobat gave a long whistle. Okay, that was worth it. "Besides going to Disneyland?"

"Too far, and my wife hates planes." He smirked to himself. "Though, maybe going up to Gotham's Amusement Mile might be a nice change of pace. Or Metropolis to catch a Superman sighting. Even that Hall of Justice in DC might be good for the kiddos."

Robin hid his thoughts as they hit him. He wasn't in Gotham, Metropolis, or DC. But they were close. Up to Gotham... he was south of his city. Not too far south. Close enough to make it there by subway? There weren't many cities that connected to them underground. The one that really came to mind was Bludhaven, and they said that was worse than Gotham, crime wise. Somehow though, he couldn't see this man living in such a dark city. Then again, _he_ lived in Gotham.

"Amusement Mile isn't that great, believe me." He finished his sandwich and chugged down some water before elaborating. "Over half of it's in pieces and used by criminals. You're better off going to Metropolis and catching a game there."

Bob rolled his eyes. "That's the last thing I want to do. I don't care much for sports kid. Rather play them than watch them, and I'm not too fond of competition either."

"How'd you end up in the marines then?" That was one thing about the guy he knew about. Bob used to be in the marines and didn't hide it. He also had a family and this place was where he worked. He had no grudge against anyone but normal people he dealt with every day, and he was sane enough not to act out of line despite his anger. A real decent guy, but one who quit serving his country for some reason.

The man shrugged. "My old man was a marine. I wanted to find out what it was like for him, maybe get some closure. Went through everything and after five years, I realized it just wasn't working for me. I quit, and made sure they let me go."

"Legally I hope," Robin joked. He wanted to hide what he interpreted from the man's confession.

"Quite legally." The guard grinned impishly at him through the glass. "I wasn't the one breaking regulations." That won a laugh from the kid and a chuckle from him. After a minute he quieted down, but Bob looked thoughtful. "He's dead you know, my dad."

"Yeah... I figured." He had. To get to know his old man as a reason to join the military, he had to have died when Bob was a small child.

"His superior reported it was lung cancer. I think there's something more, but I'm no detective." He looked over to Robin, a slight pleading smile on his face. "After this is all over, would you mind looking in on it? I heard you're a trained detective."

The acrobat grinned confidently. "Gimme your real name and I'll get on it in a jiffy."

"Oh no," the guy chuckled, "you're not getting me that easily. I'll only give my name to you after all this is settled and you agree not to have me arrested as an accomplice."

The teen frowned. "Spoil sport. So what can you tell me?"

Bob thought about it for a while, then grinned at him. "I like green."

"Heh. I bet you do."

"So," the man started, "what are your nightmares like?"

Robin dropped his water, surprised by the question. "Uh... what?"

"You were making such a racket in there last night, tossing and turning, yelling and moaning..." He turned to look at the boy, raising a concerned eyebrow. "Do I want to know who half those people are you were asking for? Or should we both just be glad there aren't any bugs around?"

The hero said nothing, trying to shut down every emotion. He did not want to think about how horrible his dreams could be, nor about the things he could have said. He did not want to tell him, a total stranger, that he dreamt of his family falling to their deaths again. That he saw his friends die one by one in that training simulation with a few twists, being he giving the orders and knowing they would die. That he dreamt of Batman being hung because he made a bad bet. It was enough to make anyone scream out at night, but it would show just how weak he was inside.

Instead he stepped away from the glass and got on his hands, pushing himself upwards to work out his arms. "Bet you never did this in the marines. One, two, three..."

"Wasn't allowed to dodge a subject either," Bob murmured, shaking his head.

* * *

A/N: yeah, kinda fluff, kinda bonding. Steve/Bob's a pretty nice guy. Love how the two of them are just chatting it up instead of ignoring each other. Ah well. Title should be familiar to anyone who read _Sacrifice_. Tomorrow's will be quite significant. X3


	7. Mailman, Mailman, Do Your Duty

Two days are almost up. More prep work and the transfer goes on tomorrow. Enjoy it while I build a fort to hide in.

* * *

**7 - Mailman, Mailman, Do Your Duty**

Wally was bored, debating whether or not to have a popcorn war with Artemis. Dick was sick apparently, and Alfred had answered the phone (something about bad reaction to some else's cooking?[he knew the Bat's excuse was a lie]). Kaldur was still busy in Atlantis, so bugging him was out. [Clone]Roy was off with his mentor looking for clues for [original]Roy (boy that was a headache), so unless he wanted to run around Star or Cadmus for clues they weren't likely to find, he was out. Zatanna as visiting some family in Vegas, and his uncle forbade him to go there unless he was working a case. Raquel was doing training with her mentor, and he didn't know the limits with her yet so unless he wanted an earful from his gf, she was out. M'gann was in the midst of making cookies and Artemis was making arrows while watching TV. Only one left to bug was Connor, and he hadn't seen him in nearly two days.

An idea struck him and he decided to bother Mr. Chatty and see if he'd help him come up with something to do. After the surveillance was taken down on Luthor (though they learned nothing, at all), they really had nothing to do. Why did they spend all of the previous day, and most of that night, watching someone who was too clever to be giving out secrets? Maybe a chat with the boy of steel would clear those cobwebs out of his head.

"Kon! Yo! Conner!" Wally knocked on the guy's door for a couple seconds, solid. If his loud rapid fire knocking didn't wake the guy up, nothing would. Hearing nothing on the other end, he pressed the side panel to open it. "Dude, it's nearly one in the afternoon! It's time to wake... up..."

The room was empty. Well it had things in it at long last, but Conner wasn't there. The TV he convinced him to get to watch the static channel on was off. Everything looked powered down and his cell was gone. "When did he step out?"

Curious, the speedster went back to the kitchen where the other permanent resident was working on making a cake. "Yo Megs!"

M'gann jolted with her bowl of batter, forcing her to use her telekinetics to save her project. "Wally!"

"Uh... sorry about that." He rubbed his neck guiltily for a second before snatching the bowl in midair and putting it on the counter. "Here, let me help. There. So M'gann, where's Conner? I went by his room and-"

"Can you move at regular speed already?!" The Martian was starting to turn white in frustration at the guy. He hadn't even realized he was still moving and talking at a hundred miles an hour. It was quite irksome.

"Oh... sorry." Finally Wally slowed down to a normal rate. "I was just wondering if you knew where Connor was."

Sighing heavily, she pointed to a note on the fridge. "He put that there yesterday while we were gone. Says he'll be gone for a couple days to finalize the paperwork for his adoption."

"Oh yeah..." He couldn't help but grin for the guy as he read the note. Conner was so happy to finally be part of Superman's life officially, even if he couldn't tell his friends who was adopting him. He was still going to be living in the cave and going by Conner Kent, but to be part of a family officially went a long way. Dick was super happy for him, since he was for one part of his life just Bruce's ward; that status did not help him in any social circle and didn't make him feel secure about his relationship with the man who took him in. His adoption made him feel much better about everything and gave him the security he needed. It was doing the same for Conner.

_M'gann and everyone,_

_I'm going to be out for a few days handling some personal business. It involves Superman and his secret ID, or I'd tell you more about it. It may take a while but I'll try to keep in contact. But if you don't hear from me, don't worry. The place I'm going to doesn't have much cell coverage. Would have told you in person but everyone was out. Say hi to everyone and don't go saving the world without me._

_Later. Conner_

Wally smirked. Well, this wasn't unexpected, but it was a bit of a downer. He kinda wanted a bit of boy time. He hadn't hung out with Conner much and with there being no missions for a bit (no serious ones at least) he wanted to do something the girls wouldn't agree with.

Oh well. At least this way he could have dinner with two beautiful women.

* * *

Steve Hawes heard something down the hallway. He was pretty sure it was an elevator. Well, they were in an underground part of the complex. It wasn't that surprising. Getting to his feet, he checked his watch. Eight pm, day two. Bit late for a food delivery, and the kid was winding down for the night. He could only mess with his head (which was both fun and not really working) for so long, and his workouts became boring after a while. The kid would be a horrible military soldier, but he was fourteen.

Looking down the hallways to see who was coming, he heard a voice he felt he'd memorized for the rest of his life. "Someone coming? Now?"

Steve shrugged. "Maybe they're delivering ice cream."

"As much as I'd like that, it's a bit weird." Robin put his face against the glass, adjusting angles to see who was coming. Other than the one light above him and the one right outside the room (both bright enough to fill just it), the place was dark. All he could make out were a few figures, one of them big and bulky.

The man shrugged. "I don't pretend to understand people either. They all do weird things. You there! Identify yourself!"

He hadn't had to shout that the entire time he was there, recognizing the food delivery person who gave them their sandwiches earlier. These guys though... "Stand down soldier. We're here for the boy."

"I have orders to protect him until authorized personnel relieve me from office." Steve glared at the big bulky one especially. He did not know any of these men, and he was not about to let the kid go to bad people. His job was to keep him there and make sure he didn't get hurt. The gun in the small of his back was looking mighty tempting at that moment.

"It's alright Hawes." A familiar voice came from behind the big guy. His boss came around but stayed in the shadows. He really needed a new job; slimy guy never felt right to him. "They're the ones taking care of him now. You can go home."

"Already?" A dark feeling grew in the pit of his stomach, and he could sense the boy tense up behind him as well. "But sir, it's only been two days. You said-"

"My client said more than two just in case the deal didn't fall through. You're free to go." As the two debated, the big guy and some thinner person, both with masks, came into the light and stopped in front of the cell. Robin took a step back, glaring at the bigger guy in recognition, and not the good kind.

"But the kid-"

"Won't be harmed, I assure you." His boss smiled greasily. "The deal was all about his return, no harm, no foul. He'll be back in Gotham before midnight."

He heard a large swish behind him, jerking him around. "HEY!" Robin cried out as thin layers of Plexiglas cut off the air holes before him. The thinner man tapped the control panel a few times and the room was filled with greenish smoke. Seeing the teen coughing and trying to remain on his feet, Steve jerked forward in an attempt to save the kid.

"What are you-"

"Knock out gas," the thin one informed him. "Can't have him exposing where he's been because he was awake during the transfer."

Anger built up inside the man, a hand going to his firearm. This teenaged hero did not deserve to go through this. His boss put a hand on him, stopping him from making any horrible mistakes. These were super villains! "Look, they're not hurting the kid, just knocking him out. No need to go postal."

"He's just a kid," he reminded him as he grounded his teeth. "And it was my job to protect him!"

"You've done a fine job of that too." They watched as Robin hit the ground, out cold. These guys didn't believe it quite yet and let the gas continue for another minute or so. "He's healthy, no one's touched him, and now he's ready for transfer. You've earned your pay soldier."

Steve took his hand off his gun and fell into an 'at ease' position, glaring at the men. This did not set right with him, at all. Carefully he watched as they typed in another sequence making some unknown vents appear and take out the gas in the room before opening the Plexiglas panels to collect the kid. Robin was definitely out cold now, floppy and loose instead of energetic and wild. This wasn't right.

But he watched helplessly as some big guy in a mask took the kid away from his post. He let the men take away that charming, witty lad. Why? Because it was his job to, and there was little he could do to help. As the elevator door closed, he couldn't help but feel he could have done more for the kid.

His boss let out a breath, releasing him. "Finally. Okay, you better head home. Take tomorrow off too. Spend it with your kids. And don't think about this ever again."

"You do realize you aided and abetted a kidnapping right?" Steve was not happy, glaring at his employer. The man only shrugged back.

"Who's going to prosecute? Batman can't bring down people who take Robin. He'd have to say who he was to push it, and you and I both know that's not how he works." The guy slapped a pudgy hand against his back. "Cheer up! Now that this is over and done, my partner will be leaving us alone!"

"Partner?" This was the first he heard of it. Too many secrets. Too many ops. Another reason he left the marines. He had to get a new job, a.s.a.p.

His boss waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry your head over it. Head home Hawes. You've earned it."

The guy passed by him, heading to the elevator on the opposite end. Steve glared at his back and turned another direction. He was taking the stairs, then heading to church. After all of this, he felt like confessing to someone, and who better than a priest?

* * *

A/N: Wave goodbye to Steve/Bob! He did a good job. No I do not know who the tall lean guy in the mask is. Pick some person who works for Luthor who fits that description. The other guy's Mammoth. Mr. Slimy's name is up in the air but I think I gave him one later.

Liked Conner's note? I thought after writing Where's Robin Conner would start informing M'gann when he vanished. Not really the same universe as that story (first time I had Wally know what was going on behind the mask with Dick) but I learned from that time. So much fun And up until Kon mentioned Supe's ID he wasn't lying, or thought he was.

Tomorrow's gonna be very emotional for everyone out there, so I'm gonna go hide. Enjoy!


	8. Transferring Pokémon

I have a very bad feeling you're gonna hate me for this one, but keep reading. I did give subtle warnings of what was gonna happen. Please don't kill me. It had to be done for the sake of story progression. Luthor is evil. That said, please read and enjoy what you can. Things can only get better after things have hit rock bottom. And even here, we aren't there yet.

* * *

**8 - Transferring Pokémon...**

"Ready?"

"Not really." Conner focused on the batmobile's dashboard, nerves and doubts attacking his insides. He told his friends he was going to the Kents and he told the Kents he was packing up some of his stuff to take to their place. Batman told Superman he was borrowing Conner to bounce ideas off of, then reminded him they were on the clock to find Robin, ending all other questions from him. They were on their own, and were going to keep it that way.

Bludhaven was a short drive from Gotham compared to other places, but the drive was still suffocating. They turned on the police radio scanner to help occupy their thoughts, but it didn't ease their tension. A suicide bomber struck a catholic church in the area and there were a lot of conflicting reports about break-ins and muggings. Police were detouring police. Only the fire department at the church seemed clean.

"I've never done anything like this." He glanced over to the dark knight next to him. "Have you?"

"Once or twice." Batman's grip on the wheel could have killed someone. "It's something I try to avoid if at all possible. It rarely ends well."

Conner looked out the window, worry mixing with his determination. They were going to get Robin back, but it'd cost him his freedom. They figured there'd be kryptonite involved in the exchange, so they covered his skin in a thin layer of lead powder. A nanoscopic tracer was put into his shirt so they could keep tabs on him, but that wasn't the only way to track him. They spent a good portion of the past twenty hours drilling in communications methods while in captivity. Connor now could hack into a comline and call out for help. He could also make a beacon and knew what frequency to use to get the League's attention. Batman would get the signal first, but the rest would be coming after him. He would be found, no matter what.

This was all in case their first plan failed. They started with a base idea of Luthor not thinking this all the way out, maybe not even being there. That being the case, they could trick his lackies into giving them Robin then run away. Not fancy, not heroic, but it would work. If they had to go through with the exchange, Superboy could try and escape. If they had kryptonite, the effects would be smaller and he could manage it. If he couldn't escape during transport, he could send out a signal from where he was being held. The only way they couldn't do all of these was if they completely incapacitated or killed him.

They were praying something would work and they all came out of this in one piece.

"We're here." The car stopped in an alleyway next to the LexCorp building, hidden from sight. The building itself wasn't that great, not like the ones in other cities. Bludhaven was not a place he had a strong foothold in, nor wanted. No profit, not with all the corruption there. The top slid back and Batman tossed Superboy a line before shooting off his own. "Play it by the numbers."

"Copy that." Conner shot off his line and the two of them zoomed through the air. He could almost see why Robin did this all the time. It almost felt like flying. Almost. Seconds later they were on the rooftop, waiting.

Ten o'clock came soon enough, and Lex Luthor with his posse came through the rooftop access. The man was positively beaming. Mercy was next to him as always, a case in her hands with something probably meant for Conner inside. Another man who didn't quite look real stood on his other side. Looking at him made the clone's stomach churn. In the distance they could see a helicopter, one of Luthor's.

"Where's Robin?" Batman's growl only reinforced Superboy's determination. They were here for him, nothing else.

The megalomaniac stepped forward. "Coming. His location was harder to get him away from than you'd think, especially while avoiding all the League members flying out there. You know, I'm not surprised you two worked together for this. And that you, Superboy, would initiate negotiations; that was icing on the cake."

"Enough stalling." Superboy took a step forward, glaring hatred on him. "Just give us Robin and I'll go with you."

Lex chuckled. "Dear boy, how foolish do you think I am? Before he goes anywhere near the Bat, you have to 100% agree to stay with me."

The lad growled. "I set this up didn't I? I'm here. Just return Robin and we're square."

"Not without insurance. And there's quite a bit going on behind the scenes to make sure you keep your end of the bargain." A sinister smile came to the man's face. "Allow me to introduce you to my friend here, John Corben."

"Metallo."

Superboy jerked up straight at Batman's identification. He heard about the guy before, and what he ran on. Kryptonite. No wonder he didn't feel well. Both villains smiled at his reaction. "He'll be your handler until you're better situated. I also have a gift for you. Mercy."

The woman placed the case in her hands on the floor and slid it towards them. The heroes exchanged looks before Batman came up to the case. After a quick search for bombs that amused Luthor, he opened it and stilled. Superboy took a step back from it. Bracelets. Glowing green bracelets. More kryptonite.

"They're a new design," Luthor explained. "I originally wanted to make shackles for Superman, but these artificial cuffs are a low enough intensity to merely weaken you and remove your powers. Of course, my remote controls how much radiation comes out of them.

"Put them on."

Batman merely glared at the man while Superboy had to hold back his terrified anger at the command. How dare he... The chopper was getting closer. Inside was Robin, he knew it. If he didn't obey, what happened to him? "Not until Robin's on the ground!"

This amused the cue ball once again. "Certainly, but Batman doesn't get his boy back until they're on."

They scowled at him, knowing they had each other at a standstill. The wind picked up as the helicopter neared. Luthor came a little closer to be heard. "Might I ask, did you hear tonight's local news report? About the suicide bomber? They say it's a terrorist attack."

"What did you do?" Batman demanded, already ready to rip the man's head off.

"Oh, nothing much. The man who protected Robin was a bit of a loose end, and heading over to his priest for a confession instead of going home and seeing his wife was not in my plans."

"You..." Superboy's insides twisted at the idea. He was going into the hands of a total sociopath.

"Mr. Hawes didn't have to eat the same food and water Robin did. It was his choice."

"Nanobombs..." Batman barely whispered, startling the boy beside him.

"All through Robin's digestion tract." He gave the vigilante a knowing smirk. The helicopter touched down, revealing Mammoth carrying a sleeping boy wonder. "Easily removed, even when activated, but these will explode if their host wakes before being extracted. His sedative should be wearing off in the next... oh... ten minutes? And as it's a bad idea to mix sedatives, another supply of the same kind is on the rooftop of Baywood Medical, about a block that way.

"Now Superboy, the... Oh," Lex raised an impressed eyebrow as Superboy hurriedly put the bracelets on his wrists, cringing in pain at the feel of them. The lead dust made it bearable to touch, but it still hurt. "Already on it. Good boy. I believe this exchange is nearly complete."

"Take Robin and go." The clone heard Luthor's heart rate the entire time they were talking. The acceleration he heard was in anticipation, but there was nothing indicating he was lying. Batman must have gotten the same impression and knew of the urgency; he bolted straight to his partner and practically ripped him from the monstrosity's arms. They passed each other one last time before the man shot off a line, carrying the lad in one arm as he swung away. "Tell him I'm sorry."

Alone and weakened on this rooftop, Superboy debated for a brief moment just dropping off of it and running that way. His movements were sluggish already from the kryptonite though, and they became worse when Metallo came up to him and grabbed his arms. He staggered and tried to throw a punch, but the pain starting at his wrists and blasting through his arms was becoming blinding. Luthor coming up to him next didn't help. Rao he felt sick.

"Ready to go son?"

"You... you can't keep me..."

A heavy sigh was the response he received, along with a head shake. "I'm doing this for your own good Superboy. John, get him underground. They have orders to strip him and scrub him. We'll-"

Superboy passed out before he could hear what else the man was planning. The kryptonite radiation more than weakened him, it incapacitated him. He felt hard arms catching him and picking him up, but that was all. He had no strength left.

At least Robin was safe.

* * *

A/N: yeah... I killed Steve/Bob. It was the only way to prove Luthor was serious and motivate Batman to take his Robin away and leave Superboy in Lex's hands. I did everything I could to make Luthor's plan foolproof, and had Bats plan everything best of his abilities. Even if Superman was there, things would probably end up the same. Pride kept him from asking others for help. Counting on these two being cowboy solo acts, Lex got the better hand of both of them. Artificial kryptonite has been created in the comics and in one issue with Supergirl, they could control the level of radiation on some cuffs, so this happened. Metallo is one of Superman's hardest to fight enemies next to Parasite, and I remember a Pre-yj comic where Superboy had to fight his worst enemy in a fantasy realm and it was Metallo. So... *shrug* who better to be his handler?

Back to Steve... I did warn you that he was like one of the Doctor's companions: she/he gets close to him and then she/he dies. When everyone started getting attached, I started feeling bad about what was gonna happen next. Didn't change what was gonna happen though. Sorry, he's dead now and won't be coming back. His death though does determine some things in the future, so his story isn't quite done. So don't kill me yet. there's 22 more chapters to post!


	9. One In the Hand, Two In the Bush

I know you're still reeling from Steve's death, so this is a breather chapter. A whole new ballgame starts tomorrow. Enjoy!

* * *

**9 - One In the Hand, Two In the Bush**

Conner woke up quite some time later, a little nauseated but otherwise unharmed. He was laying down on some kind of medical bed, which was his first clue something was wrong. He mostly slept standing and was trying to get used to horizontal sleep. A hand went through his hair and he could feel the new weight on his wrist. A bracelet. A heavy one. His other wrist had one too, same size, same weight. But why were they heavy...

His memory surged and he jolted upright in the bed. The room was pitch black and he couldn't see anything. That was really weird. His clothes didn't feel right, newer, softer. He wasn't really in pain at the moment, but his head hurt a bit. Well he did jolt straight up after some kryptonite poisoning. That hurt.

He looked at the bracelets and remembered they were supposed to be kryptonite. Why weren't they hurting him now? Did they lose their power or something? Curious, he tried to pull them off.

They wouldn't budge. His strength hadn't returned at all. "What the... What's going on?"

Blindly, he got off the bed and started to feel his way around the room. The bed was pressed against a wall, so he started there, keeping a hand near the three foot mark to try and find a doorknob or light switch. He couldn't find either.

It didn't take him long to go around the entire room; other than the flat wall the bed was against, he was in a curved room without corners, about ten feet in diameter. There was nothing but the bed and the walls there. Space above him gave him the impression of a vaulted ceiling, and he could feel some air coming in, indicating a vent. Putting his hands above his head, he circled the room again, feeling the walls. No lights up there, so he came to his hands and knees to feel the floor for any sign of lighting or anything else of use. The material at the base of the walls was different, confirming the idea there were floor lights there. Still he couldn't find a door.

Sighing heavily, he went back to the bed and sat down on its edge, pinching his brow. He had to think of this logically, that's what Batman taught him about escapes and being captured. Push away your panic at being caught and try to think about how the deathtrap was structured. No doors, but there was a vent somewhere. Floor lights, bed attached to wall. Inactive kryptonite bracelets and his powers were gone. He wasn't out that long, was he? They couldn't have built this room around him, not one like this at least. So there were a few possibilities here: a) he used a Zeta Tube, b) hidden door fused to wall, c) this was all in his head.

If it was A, he was screwed. B could be confirmed with seams, if he could find them. If C... Conner slowed down his breathing and started to meditate like Martian Manhunter told them to. He was in control of his own mind. Carefully he probed his thoughts and felt outward. There didn't appear to be any outside forces in his mind, and when he opened his eyes, he was still in the pitch black room. He flung his head back, groaning as he looked at the ceiling. "Great. It's real."

Fear started to bubble inside him, but he tried to keep it back as much as he could. Rage was easily fueled by fear, and at the moment he wasn't invulnerable. Remembering everything he knew about Lex Luthor, he knew trying to pound on the walls would only hurt himself. The guy was more prepared for him than they anticipated.

Instead he focused on what he would do as soon as they took him out of that room. There had to be more to this than what met the eye.

* * *

Robin was safely back in the batcave, tubes down his throat as the stomach pump and purifier worked its magic. Alfred didn't like this process any more than Bruce did, but it was the only thing they could do to save Dick's life. The bombs were real.

Steve Hawes was a security guard at Thorul Storage and according to his wife Sarah, he was one of the most noble people she ever knew. He was gone for three days on a special job, and the next thing she heard about him was how he went to his favorite church and then blew up. Several other people were injured and the building was damaged, but there was little of Steve's body left. The liberal media painted it as a possible terrorist attack and many people were claiming the guard was a 'loose cannon'. But according to his priest, he was a very good man.

Robin would be devastated when he woke up and heard this man was dead in order to prove Luthor was serious in his threats. Maybe even blame himself for making the guy eat what he did. The boy would be furious at him for trading Superboy for him. For running off with the boy instead of helping the two of them escape.

But there was nothing Batman could do.

Hands constantly ran through his hair as he went over the events of that night, wondering how things went so wrong. Luthor thought of everything. Metallo, artificial kryptonite bracelets, nanobombs, a quickly failing sedative... It only got worse.

Once Robin was safely sedated and in the car, Batman went back to the rooftop and couldn't find anything. He checked the tracer's signal and it was gone. The streets of Bludhaven had just as much lead, if not more, than Gotham. Luthor put him underground and blocked the signal. A couple hours later he found it again, along with Superboy's clothes and a note saying:

_Really? I know you could do better than this._

_~Lex_

Every one of their immediate plans for rescue were dashed. Everything now depended on Superboy, if he could get past his creator's well thought out plan to keep him.

Leaning back in his chair, Bruce sighed heavily. He was in for an earful, from everyone. The only thing he could do to make up for this was to find the boy before they decided to skin him alive and boil him in acid. After that, he could watch everyone shout at the clone.

"Sir," Alfred started, coming up from behind him, "the machine is finished. Master Richard is now free of nanoscopic bombs, and the contents of his stomach. Shall we return him to his room?"

"Of course." Weary, he came to the medical part of the cave and to the boy's bedside. Still asleep, but a little green. He was going to feel horrible when he woke. Then he'd have to explain what happened. Dreading the future, he picked up his son and gently carried him through the house to set him comfortably in bed. As much as he wanted to keep this boy safe, he had another to worry about. He had to find Connor, the sooner the better.

* * *

Superman growled in frustration as he looked over his data again. They were on Day 3 of the kidnapping. He hadn't found squat. Batman wasn't picking up (not that unusual) so he couldn't compare what they knew either. The only lead he had was some person saying they transferred from LexCorp to Thorul Storage and Freight. Why wasn't clear, but it seemed to be connected to Luthor somehow.

He sighed heavily for a moment, pinching his brow for a while. He looked over to his phone, thinking about Conner, Kon-El, his little brother. This had to be killing him. They talked briefly the previous day, making sure the boy didn't do anything reckless like turn himself over, but he still worried over the kid. They barely established what their relationship really was. Luthor claiming parentage when he refused and made him his brother instead, was the most irksome bit of them all. How dare he...

'_Maybe I should talk to him_,' the alien debated. The teen was quite agreeable the other day, going between training sessions at the cave at the time so he wanted to get off the phone fast. At least Black Canary was keeping him busy. What if he was in the middle of another session right then?

Quickly he picked up his cell and typed a quick text to Conner, asking him to call and just talk as soon as he was available. Message sent, Kal felt a lot better. His brother would be fine. Robin would be rescued. Everything would go back to normal soon. And nothing Luthor did would change that.

* * *

A/N: who do you think is going to be madder? Dick or Clark? Bruce is really in for it now. yeah, tomorrow we start getting into the meat of the story. Ten points if you can guess what Conner's first words to Luthor's gonna be when he leaves that cell. Thank you for not killing me. I'm working on a short in DNB to make people happy after yesterday.


	10. Gilded Cage and Golden Chains

No one quite guessed what Conner is gonna say, but one got close. Couldn't find a quote or phrase for this chapter, but hopefully this one is pretty easy to understand. Enjoy! The plot thickens!

* * *

**10 - Gilded Cage and Golden Chains**

When they finally zetaed Connor out of his prison, he was curled up in a ball, eyes on his knees. Lex would have found it quite cute and sad if the young man didn't flash a burning glare at him a second later. "About time. Where's the bathroom?!"

The room he was beamed into was something like a luxury apartment, the living room to be precise. Red solar lamps were everywhere and he could see a green kryptonite glow around certain exits. Their door handles were made from the rock too. Leaving would be extremely painful.

Other than the exits being poison and lighting imitating a red sun to remove his powers, the place was relatively nice. Soft couches, big screen TV, every game station available, and several off shoot hallways besides the ones clearly showing him the way out of there.

"In a moment," Lex started, raising a hand. "First I thought I'd congratulate you on-"

Connor grabbed the man's lapels and started a near choke hold on the man. "Where's the freakin'-!"

Pain shot up through his arms, coming from the now glowing bracelets he was conned into wearing. His hands lost strength and he fell to the floor, gasping for breath. The pain was unbearable!

"I'd advise not doing that again." Luthor fiddled with something in his pocket and the pain ebbed away once more. "In fact, I insist. As I don't approve of spanking at your physical age, I thought this would be the best form of discipline for you."

"What... What did you... do... to me..." The pain was easing away, but he still hurt. The bracelets were working wonderfully on him.

"Nothing." The man looked on the boy pityingly. "Those bracelets are made of artificial kryptonite. I can control the radiation levels at a flick of a finger, but you can as well. If you approach those doors over there, the radiation will steadily increase. The doors themselves also are a deterrent, as those stones are real and constant. The doors are also electrified. Your biosignature cannot pass through them without twice the voltage of a Taser running through your body. In your weakened state, I sincerely doubt you'll get far.

"I pray all these deterrents are only temporary, but that's up to you son." Lex sat on the couch next to the recovering boy. It wasn't that easy. The man kept looking at him as if he was sorry. "You have to choose to stay here. It's for your own good."

"So you say," Conner growled, pushing himself into a sitting position. His new clothes consisted of grey sweatpants and LexCorp souvenir t-shirt, something easily grabbed and forced on him while he was unconscious. His clothes being gone, and the tracer in his shirt with it, did not improve his mood in the slightest.

"So I know. I've provided you with everything a boy your age could want here. This... is your new home." He waved around the room and to hallways further off. "You can go wherever you want so long as you remember the boundaries. Other than staying here, I only have a few rules, and a few promises.

"One is to respect your elders," a smirk came to his face, "especially me. You won't be isolated forever son; I intend to introduce you to several people of influence eventually, but first to particular people who... will be helping us as well.

"Another is to curb your violent tendencies. Don't break anything merely to get my attention. Yes I could buy you whatever you want, but it does make a mess of things and I don't think any of my assistants will like cleaning up after one of your tantrums.

"And last of all is to listen to me." He looked seriously into the Kryptonian's eyes, trying to convey something. "I really am doing this for your own good. I'm doing everything I can to make this world a better place."

"In your image," Conner spat out, glaring at him. He wasn't buying any of it.

The man shrugged. "Is it wrong to try and shape the world to my own ideals? You would be surprised how many have this goal over the course of human history. Victors are the ones who write it. In time, people will see me as a hero and Superman as a tyrant."

"No they won't!" He jerked to his feet, enraged. How dare he even consider making the League the bad guys. They were heroes! They saved lives! This guy threatened Robin and blew up some other guy just to prove he was serious! "They aren't going to blindly believe you!"

Lex sighed heavily. "They'll believe what they see. In time. All I ask is that you listen and consider what I and others have to say. It may save your life."

"What?"

The megalomaniac got to his feet. "If you obey me, you'll live in the lap of luxury and will even learn to enjoy it. There's quite a lot here for you to do. If you need a tutor or playmate, we'll work towards it. I promise, there will be no psychics here and I will not be putting you in a pod for safe keeping. You're your own man, and I will not be doing any more damage to you... Unless it is necessary."

He gestured to the bracelets, the one thing Conner wished he could shove down this man's throat. "Anything you want will be brought in here, including blue skies when we get the simulation room kinks figured out. I will be here as often as I can, and I've cleared my schedule for a while to work on certain projects in this building so you can get used to your new home."

"New home?" The clone was ready to rip the man's head off. "I already have a home! I have friends and a family! And a life! I chose who I'd be a long time ago! You can't keep me here like a pet!"

"You're not a pet, you're my son," Lex tried to reason with him, but it wasn't working.

"I am _not_ your son!" His voice became louder and louder as he pushed out the only belief that kept him going since he learned the truth about his creation. "The only reason you made me was to be a weapon to kill Superman! You don't care squat about me!"

"I care enough to remove you from those who'd let you die!"

That struck the clone into silence. What?

Luthor wasn't about to explain quite yet what that meant, but it gave him the last word in this argument. He strode past the teen and towards the forbidding doors that would keep him there. "Take the evening to settle in. A full wardrobe is next to the bedroom and one bathroom is the first door down that hallway. There's pizza in the oven keeping warm for tonight, but the diet changes tomorrow. Be up by eight so we can start tests by nine."

"Tests?" Connor turned to watch him walk away, still gaping at him. "What are you talking about? What do you mean-"

"We'll discuss it when we have more data."

"What do you mean I'm going to die?!" He tried to get close to him, to stop him from leaving without answering his questions. "Dammit Luthor! What are you-!"

The bracelets went off again, though not as strongly as before. They just stopped him from actually grabbing the man. He did warn him of the proximity effects from the door and the bands. Lex looked back at him once as he pulled open the door to a normally lit hallway to disappear. "Language. Eat dinner, take a bath, and go to bed at a decent hour. You'll want to be rested for tomorrow. Goodnight son."

"Luthor!" He tried to shout back but the man was already gone. Frustrated, Conner took a few steps back, lessening the pain in his body, then threw a punch into the wall. The damage to the wall was minor, but his hand never felt this kind of pain before. While in this place and with those bracelets on, he was as human as the next guy. And he really didn't like it.

He cradled his hand, looking from it to the door. To think, the one thing that made him unique, the one part of him the bad guys wanted to exploit last year, was also what was keeping him back now. His Kryptonian blood was killing him here, keeping him trapped. Right then, he was just human.

Grimacing, he went back into the room and started hunting down the bathroom and the possible medkit within. He sure needed it now, and probably often if he couldn't find a way out of there and back to the League. He was not going to go down easily.

* * *

A/N: apparently I have an obsession with bathroom breaks. =P If someone had me cooped up for almost an entire day, I'd want to know where the bathroom was immediately. So Lex has set some ground rules but not a lot. Conner's angry (duh) but there's something going on he doesn't know about. The reason why Lex did everything will become clear by the end of the week.

In other news, in case you didn't hear yesterday, they're putting out a Damian movie! It's coming out late spring/early summer titled Son of Batman. A trailer's on youtube. enjoy!


	11. It's All Bad News

Ready for a talk? Here it comes!

* * *

**11 - It's All Bad News**

Bruce was working from one of his tablets, hacking through everything he had on Luthor. He had to figure out how Luthor was keeping Conner captive. The boy didn't go down easy and he didn't stay in one place if he had a say in it. It was near impossible to control him, and that was coming from personal experience. Teenagers were very difficult to keep restrained. He did the best he could to keep Dick from getting into trouble, and that wasn't working.

Speaking of whom, the lad was finally stirring into consciousness. He'd been out of it the entire day, occasionally getting sips of water and bits of crackers. The digestive tract had a large effect on people's bodies, particularly making them weak and exhausted when empty. Bruce was at the boy's bedside helping him recover between naps and working from his tablet after the sedative first wore off. Figured if the boy was going to ask questions and start hating him, he may as well get it over with.

He rubbed his eyes and looked at the clock. It was practically tomorrow. He hadn't slept in four days, not once since Dick's capture, and it didn't look like he'd be sleeping that night either. Not until he could make some headway in this case. If his son didn't need his attention so much, he'd be clearing his mind by going on patrol and taking down some mindless punks. But he did, so he stayed.

The CEO rubbed his eyes and looked away for a minute, tired and worn. He wished he could accept Alfred's calamine tea, but he couldn't relax, not really. He had work to do, another boy to save. Why did he ever agree to this? Why did he let Luthor win? Why couldn't he find these two? What did that man do to keep them away?

Looking at all the data, his brain hurt even more than his eyes. LexCorp was one of the leading companies in sun imitating lighting, making transportation of red solar lamps normal between buildings. It was almost a standard in construction now. So was lead. The man also made it a habit to distribute kryptonite in every one of his facilities. If Connor was in one of those, it'd take a while to find him. These were the known buildings. There were hundreds more he didn't know about yet, like where Robin was kept.

"You should probably get some sleep." Bruce jerked to attention as Dick's voice reached him. The teen was amused to say the least. "I'm perfectly capable of using a water bottle Bruce."

"Dick..." Quickly he set the tablet aside and helped his son sit up. It wasn't really necessary, but he did it anyway. "How are you feeling?"

"Starving. How long have I been out?" He looked over him curiously, knowing he'd be in this bed and feeling that horrible if something had happened.

"About a day, with a few blurry interruptions." He reached over to where Alfred left him a meal: clam chowder, biscuits, steamed vegetables with cheese, frog eye salad, and a few chocolate chip cookies for dessert. A can of strawberry cream soda was also on the tray, unopened. "Care for a real meal?"

"Love one." Dick slid over to the side of the bed and started devouring everything in sight. It was good to see him actively going at something, especially after he spent the full day with less energy than was normal: combination of the sedative leaving his system and the stomach pump. Not a good mix for a young growing man.

He had eaten over half of his dinner before he finally slowed down to talk, with his mouth full no less. "Why... mhmm... why was I out so long?"

"Heavy sedation."

"Mm..." He swallowed and tried again after chugging down half his drink. "Didn't think they used that good a gas."

"They didn't." Bruce looked down as he went over it in his head. Dick's curious look didn't help matters much. "I had to keep you sedated until your stomach was pumped. The food they gave you was laced with nanoscopic bombs." The teen's eyes grew wide, his hands slowing as the implications settled in. "If you woke up before they were removed, they would have killed you and anyone within five feet."

"But... I ate..." A realization came to the boy's eyes, and his appetite was completely lost. He let Dick mull through it for a minute, to get his thoughts in order. They remained scattered for a while longer. "There... there was this guard... Bob... we... we ate half of the same sandwich... He tested the water before I drank it..."

"His name was Steve Hawes. A security guard at Thorul Storage. Ex-Marine, Lance Corporal. His father was a Gunnery Sergeant. Married, two kids with a third on the way. Practicing Catholic. He was going to a confessional when the bombs activated."

"Why..." His eyes pleaded for answers. "Why did they kill him? He didn't know anything. All he did was-"

"Loose end." Bruce looked at the ground, not liking it any more than he did. "Luthor couldn't have him talking."

"Luthor?" The boy looked up at him in surprise. "Lex Luthor was the one behind it?"

"You didn't know?" Despite all his research, he didn't quite know how the boy was taken.

Dick shook his head, guilt eating away at him for the man's death. "Never saw him and no one said anything to me. I was ambushed by Mammoth and Shimmer. She had this really good Taser and... Luthor... he did this? He kidnapped me? Why? Why did he do this? He never showed interest in me before, and no one ever asked me questions down there. And Bob... Steve... he didn't know anything! He was just there to keep me company! Why did he..."

The man looked away, thinking of the next part. Dick didn't look like he could take the next blow quite yet. Not all of it at least. "A tradeoff. There was... something he wanted me to get for him. We confiscated it over a year ago. I'll give you the details about it later, when I know why he was after it now.

"In the meantime, stay here and rest." Bruce got to his feet, knowing he was no longer needed at the child's bedside. He was fourteen after all. He wouldn't want to be babied even though he felt responsible for one man's death. "Regain your strength. Alfred will make anything you want for the next couple days, just remember to eat. I have some cleanup to do down in the cave."

The lad quickly grabbed his wrist, keeping him there for a minute. A plea remained in his eyes. "What going to happen to Steve's family?"

He looked at him for a long moment then sighed. "His life insurance policy and his last paycheck will help them for a while. Once his name's cleared, his community will help his wife out as well. I'll try to help her gain employment at one of my offices, but with young children and being pregnant... it's not going to be easy for them, no matter what I do."

A heavy silence fell between them, thinking of the family of the victim. Sadness filled the boy's face, making him look older than normal, careworn. It was a problem they all had in this business. "Does Luthor... ever think about the victims and their families when he does things?"

"I don't think he does." The billionaire left the young man to his thoughts, returning to his many dark ones. He knew Dick would respond like this when he heard about what happened to the guard. And if he was right about a man keeping him captive, then he was likely right about how he would take Conner trading himself for him.

He had to find the clone, fast.

* * *

A/N: Dodged the bullet for now, but he's only putting off the inevitable. I almost made Dick throw up after hearing what happened, but I felt that'd be overkill. The next two days are gonna be dramatic for everyone. Enjoy!


	12. Penny In The Air

This one leads into half the major drama going on here. The other half... well, that's tomorrow. There's some language here, probably the bulk of it, but it's in character. Ah well. Enjoy!

* * *

**12 - Penny In The Air**

Conner was anything but happy. He'd be angry and breaking everything in sight if it weren't for the bracelets on his wrists and the continual red lights above him. He had no strength there, just enough to be a normal human his size. The doctors told him so after a few tests.

Doctors. Tests. Scientists. It was Cadmus all over again.

They put wires on his skin to monitor his vitals while he did random exercises. They drew blood and gave him a full physical. They made him pee in a cup once or twice. He was strapped to different boards and forced to hold still while their scanners worked their magic. And the entire time Metallo was there to keep him in check while Luthor came in and out, checking on him.

He really hated it. All of it. Each day when he was finally allowed to go back to the living part of his confinement, he glared out of one of the rare windows pointing outside. Narrow long ones made of tinted reinforced Plexiglas, the kind that made the sun red there too. He couldn't open them and he couldn't break them. There were wires all through it too, meaning electricity. He couldn't get out that way either. But glaring through them and seeing the outside world was one huge difference between this and Cadmus. Here he could see outside.

Part of him imagined what he would do if he made it out there, still weakened from the red sun's rays and wearing those bracelets. Training taught him how to survive, so he would just have to run into the trees on the far side of the parking lot and make towards one of the highways. If he found a gas station he could find a way to cut off the bracelets, then he could phone the League. Seemed like a good plan, if he could just get outside.

But he was stuck inside, with no way to contact the outside world. Sure he had a phone and computer there, but they only connected to internal lines. One night he tried jury-rigging the line to make it call out or send an SOS, but in the end he threw the thing at the wall, shattering it. The computer suffered the same fate. He was not good with technology. Even the so called internet connections to the game systems were useless for sending out messages. Unless he could get out of that apartment or get someone on the inside to talk to the League, he was pretty much screwed.

He couldn't get out of his apartment or the designated adjoining lab. He wouldn't risk one of their lives by trying to use one of the scientists. Conner was screwed.

A vain hope of Superman flying overhead and hearing him shout was about all the hope he had left of getting himself out of there. Though the clone knew Batman could find him in time, they were really banking on him finding a way to signal his location to them. Batman wasn't having much luck finding teenaged boys lately.

"You really shouldn't look out there so much," Metallo's voice started, drawing him out of his revere. "You'll only miss it more."

Conner glared at the machine, really wishing he had laser vision at the moment. He hated this guy, and not just because of the kryptonite and him being his sitter. Corben had a nasty sense of humor and liked razzing on him for being powerless. He just wished he'd malfunction and die already.

"At least I can feel it," the alien jibed back. They had this conversation before. It'd been nearly a week since Robin's kidnapping. Four days in this hell hole and he was ready to snap. Or rather snap someone in two.

Upset with his own thoughts, the clone moved on to the study where a variety of books were waiting for him. Metallo didn't stay with him all the time and this was one room he wasn't followed to a lot. He occasionally found Luthor there though, and he wanted answers from the man. He was sick of everything going on around him, of all the looks and whispers, of the tests and examinations, of not being able to contact anyone! He wanted answers, and he wanted them now.

Going in the room, he glowered. Luthor wasn't there. He wanted answers! When was he going to get them?!

* * *

Clark hastily dressed in his uniform just before flying to Mount Justice. A full week. He heard nothing from Bruce or Conner, at all. And according to his sources in LexCorp, Luthor was on cloud nine. That could only mean one thing, and Superman was no idiot. "Dammit... They better not have..."

The team members hanging out in the cave were nearly blown over as he searched the mountain. He could hear their protests and surprise, even Wally zooming after him, but he didn't care. He was looking for any evidence that he was wrong. Any at all!

Unfortunately he only found an empty bedroom, a lonely Wolf and Sphere, and eventually the note still on the kitchen fridge. Seeing it and taking it off it startled M'gann twice over, especially after he read it and started to growl in rage. "_DAMMIT!_"

"Superman!" the Martian girl started. "What's wr-"

He didn't stay to hear her question nor to answer. The man of steel just zoomed out of there, using the Zeta Tube to get to Gotham faster. So what if Batman knew he was coming. He knew what would happen when they met with Luthor. As soon as he was in the broken down booth, he took to the skies and flew straight to Wayne Manor. Screw Alfred's no cape rule! He was going to get answers now!

A quick x-ray of the building confirmed his suspicions. Dick was coming down stairs towards the study, the exact place Bruce was coming out of at that moment. The boy looked mostly healthy and unharmed, but troubled by something. His ally was just as stoic and sleep deprived as ever, looking at a tablet and carrying an empty stoneware cup towards the kitchen. Fine by him. The side entrance from there was easier to come in and out of anyway.

Zooming through the kitchen and stopping him just before entryway, Superman grabbed the CEO by his shirt and shoved him against a wall. "HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU DO THAT TO CONNER!"

Wincing, Bruce tried to gain his breath to defend himself but the alien would not stop. "WE WOULD DO ANYTHING TO GET DICK BACK AND YOU JUST TRADED THEM! JUST LIKE LUTHOR WANTED! YOU GAVE HIM BACK TO HIM!"

"Superman, listen for a minute."

But the man wouldn't listen. He was too angry, betrayed. "WE SWORE WE WOULDN'T TRADE! YOU SWORE CONNER WOULD NEVER BE SENT BACK TO LUTHOR! YOU SWORE IT!"

"Dammit all, _listen_ for one minute!"

"WHY SHOULD I?! SO YOU CAN SELL ME TO HIM TOO?! YOU SOLD CONNER! YOU SOLD HIM OUT! I OUGHTA-"

"_It wasn't my idea!_" Bruce insisted, trying to bring the man's voice down before he was heard.

"LIAR! YOU'RE A LIAR BRUCE! YOU SOLD CONNER TO LUTHOR TO GET DICK BACK INSTEAD OF FINDING ANOTHER WAY!"

"_It wasn't-_"

"Is that true?"

A small stunned voice not too far away grabbed their attention, making both men look at the source with trepidation. Dick gaped at them in horror. No, not them, just Bruce. He trembled a little as he confirmed his question. "The 'thing' you traded for me was Conner?"

"Dick..." A drop of dread came into the man's voice as he looked at his son. He knew this was coming, they both did.

"Lex Luthor kidnapped me in order to get Superboy back?" Disbelief controlled his features. "And you made it happen?"

"That's not-"

"That's exactly what he did!" Superman stated with a growl, snarling at the man as he let go of his shirt so he could throw an accusing finger. "He played right into Luthor's hands! Gave up being a detective to be Luthor's lapdog! He just handed Conner over to that madman!"

"That's not what-"

"We promised him," Dick stated, shaking slightly. "We promised him he'd be free. We promised he wouldn't ever go back to him. And you just..."

Bruce took a step towards him, a plea in his eyes. "Dick, let me ex-"

"GO TO HELL!" Glaring pure rage and hatred, the teen snapped about and ran back upstairs towards his room. "YOU SHOULDA JUST LET ME DIE!"

"DICK!" The detective darted after him, only to get his shoulder grabbed by the alien.

"We're not do-!" Not missing a beat, the dark knight spun around and clocked him in the jaw, a kryptonite ring in his finger making contact so he couldn't break his hand in the process. Hero sent spinning to the floor, Bruce sprinted upstairs, calling his son's name. Superman looked up once, stunned and regaining some sense, before noticing the butler in the adjacent hallway, raising a disapproving eyebrow at him with his arms crossed. "Alfred..."

"Frankly I feel you've each earned this." He inclined his head upstairs, glaring slightly. "Now go follow and listen for a change. Master Bruce's week has not been as cut and dry as you think."

Starting to realize he may have gone too far (the kryptonite ring wasn't used for any old reason and having it on hand meant Bruce expected a confrontation), the man of steel leapt to his feet and followed after the duo he practically tore in two. Once he saw Bruce again standing in front of his son's bedroom door, he knew the man was desperate. He needed to explain what happened to Dick, to try and get him to not hate him. Kal knew the man could stand being hated by everyone in the world, except Dick and Alfred. So long as they didn't abandon him, the rest of the world could fry. No wonder he took out his temper on him with the ring.

"Dick, let me explain!"

"SHUT UP! I DON'T WANNA HEAR IT!" came the boy's shout beyond the wood.

"It wasn't my idea!" Desperately the man shouted through his son's door, trying to tell him what happened. "When Luthor told us the terms of the trade, he stressed that if it wasn't done within two days, he wouldn't be protecting you anymore! He would have sold you off to the highest bidder or worse! When we told Conner about it, Superman and I agreed we would rescue you somehow, without selling him. I even sent the rest of the team on surveillance to see if Luthor could lead us to you.

"Conner thought about it the entire first day and set up the exchange himself!" This struck the Kryptonian as he came closer. What? "I didn't agree to it at first, but he begged me to help him save you. I spent the next day teaching him escape tactics, how to send a signal using different lines of communications, and how to hack through door programs. Planted a tracer into the fabric of his clothes and covered him in a lead film to help protect him from kryptonite.

"We hoped to spoil Luthor's plans during the trade, but he thought of everything. Metallo was there and Conner had to wear synthetic kryptonite bracelets before I could get near you. Nanobombs were inside your body and I only had ten minutes max to get more sedative into you before they exploded. Conner insisted it was just the two of us there and he could handle it. After you were safe in the car, I went back for him. Luthor moved him before I could get back and left his clothes outside of town. I've been looking ever since."

A heavy pause filled the air, making his audience regret jumping to conclusions so fast. Then again, this man didn't even consult him. Superman was Superboy's mentor. He should have been asked at the very least. Didn't he know how worried he... Another look at the mortal's face put him in check; Bruce was exhausted, constantly looking for the teen he failed to return home. This whole fiasco hit him the hardest.

"Dick," he started again, "you have to believe me. I did not want to put him in any danger, but all of this was his idea. Conner set it up, and came to me only to make plans for escape and possibly changing the outcome. I didn't want to trade him in order to get you back; I wanted to find you and shove that up Luthor's rear. But time was running out, and I know several criminals who'd kill to get their hands on you. We couldn't risk you being in his hands for too long.

"I know you're mad at me, and you have every right to me. I... I failed you. You and Conner." Silence came again, consuming the man. Slowly he pushed away from the door, turning to leave. "He told me to say he was sorry. If you need me, you know how to find me."

Quietly Bruce walked away, accepting the silence and hate from his son as punishment for his part in all of this. He stopped next to Superman, glaring sharply at him. "Happy?"

"Bruce," the alien started, "I didn't mean to-"

"Conner gave himself up, just like another martyr crazed alien I know." A growl grew in his throat as he passed the man to finally refill his coffee and get back to work. "Must be genetic."

* * *

A/N: Liked the fight? Now that the secret's out, there's little more they can do. Dick's mad, Clark's caught between mad and guilty, and Bruce is running himself ragged trying to find him. And Conner's a labrat at the moment. Why will be explained later. Tempers are flying everywhere and it'll only get worst. Bruce is suffering a major guilt trip, but after explaining himself, there's little more he can do for Dick and Clark. So things are gonna continue to spiral downwards for a bit. So much fun!

Title came from something I heard on Doctor Who. TTFN!


	13. You Can't Handle the Truth!

If I say too much I will spoil it. Just... Back to Conner and Lex! Answers are coming very shortly.

* * *

**13 - You Can't Handle the Truth!**

"Please remove your shirt."

Conner glared daggers at the doctor telling him what to do once again. Five days in captivity and all he did was eat, sleep, try to call out of his prison, brood, and get tested. All of the tests were physical except one or two involving memory and vocal skills (which he was most uncooperative with). Each and every time they started with him taking off his shirt so they could put wires on him. They extracted a little blood each day then put him through some basic exercises.

And he was seriously sick of it.

"Where's Luthor?" He scowled, folding his arms stubbornly.

"Busy. Now take off your-"

"Screw you!" Metallo wasn't there to keep him in line this time. He was going to get some answers. "Tell me where Luthor is right now!"

"You father is-"

"He's not my dad!" That was it. Angrily he shoved past the doctor and his assistants, charging towards the office rooms he glimpsed before. The whole medical part of the building had red lighting too, but the doors were electrified earlier to prevent him from searching the rest of the level when he wasn't wanted there. Right then he was supposed to be undergoing more tests, so they had to be safe now. "Out of my way!"

"Security!"

Not waiting to see if Metallo or someone else tried to stop him, Conner slammed through one set of double doors after another, barreling through the hallways beyond them. A quick glance at the signs plastered to the walls gave him a direction. For a brief moment he headed towards an emergency exit but stopped when he saw a familiar green glow. Growling, he jerked around and darted towards the administrative offices.

Security officers were waiting for him, ordinary men with Tasers and clubs. The clone couldn't help but to smirk when he saw them. He may not have his powers at the moment, but he was made to be a weapon and trained by the best fighters in the Justice League. He quickly met up with them, plowing one of them over before delivering a swift kick into the side of the next one. He grabbed the club of one downed guard and tossed it between another's ankles to trip him up just seconds before knocking the air out of guy four. Fighting these men was almost too easy: a rib jab here, a twisted arm there, knocked a couple heads together, and then slipping through a gap between the last two who were about to shoot their Tasers at him. A quick swipe under their legs and they were down. They'd all be getting up soon though, so he continued to run. Fighting was fun, but he had business to take care of.

Another set of guards were coming from an adjacent hallway, but he ignored them. Common security guards again. So long as it wasn't Metallo he knew he could take them. His stomach still lurched at the sight of him. The exits were being blocked but this time around he wasn't aiming to get out. After seeing a startled secretary coming out of one office, he turned and threw himself inside, rolling to his feet within seconds (his training was pretty thorough). Both Luthor and Mercy were surprised when he jolted up straight in front of them.

"Well," the business man started, blinking, "that was quite a display. If you wanted to talk-"

"Enough tests Luthor! Tell me what the hell is going on!" For the past week the man came by briefly, checked how he was doing, and dodged every question Conner asked him. The questions were simple ones really: What were the tests for? Why did he kidnap him? What did he want? What did he mean when he talked about his life being in danger? Not one was answered.

Instead he got, "All in good time son."

"Cut the crap Luthor!" He slammed his hands onto the desk with enough force, on normal days, to break it in two. "I want answers and I want them now!"

"Sir?" Mercy's mechanical arm was open, her gunnery arm pointed at the lad. He didn't fear it even in his weakened state. Lex wanted him for something; he wanted him alive and unharmed. Mercy did what he wanted. He was safe from her.

"One moment Mercy." A slightly cold, disapproving look came to the man's face as he eyed the boy. "There's no reason to be over dramatic son."

"Quit calling me-!" Pain shot up through his arms, forcing him to take a step back. The bracelets. They weren't activated very often but they still hurt, even at a low intensity. Lex's trigger for them stayed in his pocket like always, hidden and unreachable. One thing he never learned was how to pick a person's pocket. He staggered back, gritting his teeth in pain.

"I will not be spoken to in that tone of voice." A firm chiding tone rang over his pain as he continued backwards. Lex inclined his head to a nearby chair. "Take a seat Superboy. This may take a while."

The glow from the bracelets stopped, leaving the teen gasping for breath. His glare remained on the man but he obediently fell back into the chair behind him. Lex sighed heavily, nodding once to Mercy to stand down. Metallo was just in the doorway, waiting for further instructions along with a few security guards and scientists. He gave a pointed glare to them. "Leave us. Mr. Corben, close and guard the door."

His employees nodded and left, following his orders without question. Mercy powered down, taking her usual role as personal attendant. As soon as the room was silent and Conner had the energy to glare at the man again, Luthor started to speak. "I know these past few days have been trying, but you have to be patient."

"Patient?" The clone's alien blue eyes penetrated the mortal's very soul. "You kidnapped Robin to manipulate me being here! You won't explain anything, and all you've done is keep me in a cage and poke needles in me!"

"The apartment is hardly a cage," Lex informed him coolly. "And the tests... are necessary."

"For what?!"

"So I could be certain about my assumptions." The man looked away for a moment then started pulling files off of his desk. "How much do you know about cloning?"

Conner glared narrowed suspiciously. "It's the process of making one being identical to another, beginning with a single cell. Most the world believes it's impossible."

"But as you very well know," Lex stated with a slightly proud tone, "it is more than possible. In Cadmus we had perfected human cloning, and the cloning of creatures we created. Kryptonian cloning though..." He sighed a little. "Well, Match is proof enough of how difficult it is to map out that DNA. We tried another time before him. Bizzaro. He's somewhere off world last I knew. Stable, but defective. Match was our second, somewhat successful attempt at cloning. We managed to duplicate the majority of the alien DNA, but clearly the mental state of the race becomes unstable when reproduced this way.

"So we mixed human and Kryptonian DNA, effectively making you." He looked Conner over the boy, trying not to bask in his success. "Though we knew there was a possibility you'd never be as strong as Superman, we were finally able to make a functioning duplicate with stable mental facilities."

"You were making a weapon for your own ends," the clone growled, not liking being reminded how he was born. Or why.

"Originally yes." The honesty coming from him was highly unexpected. "At the beginning I wanted nothing more than a weapon able to take down Superman. But things... have changed..."

"What's changed?"

There was a long pause, their eyes boring into each other. There was a seriousness there he hadn't seen before, and it unnerved him. "That... we'll discuss later. The reason behind all the tests is what you want to hear first, is it not?"

The boy's eyes narrowed again but he didn't answer. That was his first question after all. Lex continued. "As I was saying, we managed to make a functioning, stable clone: you. Superboy. After your fetus was fully formed, we progressed your aging rate to a year a week. I told them to stop the acceleration at sixteen so you could become associated with the rising generation of heroes. Like Mr. Harper, it was our intention for you to be around Kid Flash, Aqualad, and Robin. You were to be a free agent the League would take in later and mentor, much like Miss Crock did.

"No, she was not intentional," the man assured him. "Just a coincidence. Sportsmaster's daughters are quite... unpredictable."

Conner huffed out a laugh, remembering his friend's personality quite well. Yeah, Artemis was someone with a mind of her own. Lex continued. "When you... left... with the League's junior partners last year, we believed you were healthy and stable, even retrievable. Unfortunately, recent findings are saying differently."

"What do you mean?" Despite the source, his interest was perked.

The man looked away for a moment then continued. "The accelerated aging process had some... negative side effects on your body. Had you been allowed to age at a slower or normal rate, the effects would have lesser consequences."

"Spill it out already!" The man was starting to ramble. Lex Luthor was rambling. It kind of scared him.

"You must have noticed by now." He looked at the boy with a little pity. Sadness even. "Most sixteen year olds have outgrown a pair of shoes inside a year. You should be buying longer pants, larger shirts. But you haven't. Your hair has barely grown a millimeter since leaving Cadmus.

"You're not aging. Not outside at least."

Connor looked at the man skeptically for a moment before commenting. "And that's a bad thing?"

"It is if your insides are, at an accelerated rate." That made the boy stop and stare for a moment. What? Luthor sighed heavily as he passed files over to Mercy to deliver them to the clone. "During one of your team's missions, you had gone through one of my labs. Bio Scans were done on each of your bodies when you went through one archway; it's a security measure. Certain members of your team were impossible to scan properly due to physiology, powers, or tech integrated with their suits, but it did get you. The results were sent to me and they did not bode well.

"Other tests were done from a distance: hair taken during a fight, thugs equipped with kryptonite obtaining blood samples, further scans, simulations based off of data gathered from your creation process... I did all I could from a distance and it all came to the same conclusion." A measure of gravity entered the man's voice. "You are aging, on the inside. And judging from the initial calculations, your internal organs are aging faster than the rest of you. Further tests here are proving it.

"According to our estimates, your body will fail to function properly within the next fifteen years. You will die before you turn twenty."

The words hit Conner like a ton of bricks. He just gaped at the man before him in shock, a pit growing in his stomach. "What?"

"Your insides are aging faster than your outsides due to a severe chemical imbalance caused by the age acceleration process and your Kryptonian DNA."

"You're lying..." Disbelief took control of the young man's face.

Lex ignored the interruption. "Internally the wear and tear of your organs is currently somewhere between five and ten years old. Next year, your insides will be fifteen. It will slow naturally for a period, but not for good. When you're actually fourteen, your organs will start shutting down, if they haven't started having problems already. It is predicted at this rate you will die between seventeen and nineteen."

"No... I..." The clone's breathing started to become difficult. "Y... You're lying..."

"Believe me, this is one time I wish I was." He waved a hand over to Mercy and the stack of files she was trying to give the lad. "If you won't take my word for it, take a look at the results yourself. They're quite conclusive. The tests were to see if our earlier ones were wrong, and if we could reverse the damage when we found we weren't. Thus far-"

"You're lying!" Conner leapt to his feet, enraged panic setting in. He... he wasn't dying. He couldn't be! He was a healthy, normal Kryptonian! Only a small part of him was human, the part that kept him sane and made it so he couldn't fly! "I'm not dying! I'm not!"

A saddened, pitying look came on the bald man's face. "Denial is normal in situations like this son. But it's the truth. I made certain you came here in order to- Superboy!"

The teen didn't stay another second to hear him. As fast as he could, he darted out of the room, nearly plowing over Metallo in the process. Panic filled Connor's heart as he ran down those hallways, trying to find an exit. His mind was going a mile a minute, making every turn confusing and wrong. He couldn't find one, but he did find a way back to his residential area. Blindly he ran for the double doors leading out of the place he saw his first day there, vainly ignoring the screaming pain going up his arms as he ran to it. White pain seared through him as he touched them, forcing him to his knees and then the ground. He felt like he was dying.

Dying...

He was dying.

Hot tears streamed down his face, from the pain of the radiation or the idea that he was created and grown with such a short life expectancy, he didn't know. He couldn't be dying. He couldn't be! He wasn't dying... he wasn't...

Blackness took him just as footsteps came to his collapsed form before the doors. The pain had completely immobilized him, both from the radiation and from the thoughts plaguing his mind. He couldn't move. Conner, Superboy, couldn't move. He was just going to die.

* * *

A/N: yeah, remember when in YJ:I Conner said that he wasn't aging on the outside but inside he was? This is what I decided to play with. I remember in the comics there was this one story line when everyone swapped ages thanks to Myxy (super funny really. Bats and robin switched costumes!). Superboy though didn't age immediately. He was in a great deal of pain though because he couldn't age. Scientists fixed the anti-aging thing and he became an adult. When they fixed it, he was able to age, and gained a few new powers afterwards. SO! Here I played with the whole 'insides are aging faster than the outsides' bit, expanding on it and making it a serious crisis. Fun isn't it?

So this is why, or part of the reason why, Luthor had to get Conner back. More will be explained as the story progresses. This could even fit into the cannon universe so it's pretty fun. Only one detail I put in makes in non-cannon but I don't care. I love that one detail. XD Conner had to learn about his aging problem sometime in the missing five years, so this is it. Now the reason is made, and mortality becomes more of an option for Conner, an opening in his defenses has been made. now the psychological battle begins!


	14. Fear of Death Drives All Men

Liked the bomb from yesterday? Well this isn't gonna defuse it, but it does bring up a good question: does Luthor really care? =D

* * *

**14 - Fear of Death Drives All Men**

He was weak when he woke up, lying on the large fluffy bed Lex provided for him but never used. For once the bed actually felt good and right. He didn't have the strength to stand in a closet anyway. A cool damp cloth lay on his head, soothing and wonderful after nearly burning inside from all the radiation earlier.

Blearily he recalled what happened to make him attempt a direct escape like that, something he avoided because this would be the end result each time. Remembering the talk he had with Luthor, the dread and panic returned.

According to him and his doctors, Conner was dying. Slowly yes, but he was dying. Superman was easily older than the clone's life expectancy, as was his other genetic donor, so it wasn't a problem with his DNA. It had to do with the aging process. His outsides were frozen in time while his insides sped up. They would shut down before he actually lived twenty years.

He was dying, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Tears sprung from the corners of his eyes, fear eating away his insides. For the first time in his life he was scared... for _his_ life. He'd been scared for others and for the mission, scared of being rejected and other emotional fears, but never for his own life. Even when people used kryptonite against him, he wasn't scared. He knew he was invulnerable, he could withstand it. But how could he fight from a force within? It wasn't even a disease with a cure. He was just built to die.

Conner rolled to one side, arms wrapping around a large pillow as he buried his face into it, trying to smother his fears, his tears. This was fear, pure terror and grief all piled into one basket. His heart hurt with every shattered breath, every salty tear. How could this be happening to him? How could he be dying? He didn't want to die. No one in the League said he was dying, but they weren't looking into how he was made, just that he was. He'd say Luthor was lying, but he didn't have a reason to, did he?

Shaking and crying in his pillow, the clone tried to get around the details he had learned and find some kind of hope. His mind went blank constantly, consumed with his vulnerability, making it hard to think. In the end though, it came down to one of two options: one, Luthor was telling the truth and he was dying, or two, Luthor was lying and was trying to scare him into obedience.

He needed to see those test results.

Steeling himself, Connor's head left his pillow so he could look around. Someone had picked him up and put him in bed, so they may still be around. He'd seen Flash wait by Wally's bedside at the cave med bay before, and Batman carrying Robin home when he passed out at the cave wasn't unusual either. M'gann had stayed with him after suffering kryptonite poisoning the first time. It was a normal thing people did for each other, right? Carefully he looked around and found he was alone. The bedroom door was ajar and the lighting was soft enough to sleep but clear enough to see. The wet rag from earlier was soaking a part of his bed now, and he could see a bowl of ice water not too far off. Someone must have stepped out when he was waking and stayed out.

The room itself was relatively bare, with only the bed, a side table on either end of his pillows, and a TV attached to the wall opposite his bed. The lighting was like the rest of the place, built into the walls and ceiling with controls to each set next to the door. A large walk in closet was opposite the main entrance and the elaborate bathroom was beside it with a second entrance to it connecting all three rooms. There were some art pieces on the walls, but he didn't care about those. The clothes in the closet, the expensive products in the bathroom, the fluffy bed, none of it could mean a thing to him. He wanted his room back at the cave and the small closet he slept upright in. The nook in the closet he was using most nights wasn't near as dark or comfortable for him.

Seeing the door ajar and vaguely hearing some murmuring, he could guess the person who put him in bed was in the living room, watching TV. Steeling himself, Conner left the safety and warmth of the bed (he never thought of them like this before, but for once a bed really did feel comfortable) and stumbled towards the bathroom. Whoever was out there, he wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of seeing his face after crying. Quickly he washed his face and focused on making his expression as angry and determined as always.

They weren't going to fool him for long. Luthor was lying. He had to be!

Slowly the lad walked to the sound he could hardly hear (not being able to hear whatever he wanted to everywhere was one thing he just couldn't get used to), thinking and rethinking the demands he'd make. He wanted... no, needed to see those test results. He'd need to verify the results with someone else, not connected with Luthor. He wasn't going to take that megalomaniac's word at first glance. Clark said not to trust him, ever. He couldn't even verify he was telling the truth with heartbeats. The man could lie to him all the time now and he wouldn't know.

Turning a corner, he was surprised to see the CEO sitting on the couch, waiting for him. The TV was on CNN, talking about some manhunt for a cop-killer then switching gears to a trail about a crazy girl who admitted to killing her boyfriend. Lex must have been using it as background noise because he was only looking at his iPad, occasionally looking at another computer screen to the side of him. The man was working, honestly working.

A stack of manila folders were on the coffee table near him, along with a second iPad. 'Superboy' was engraved on the side of the piece of tech. Surprise quickly turned into a frown as he spotted it. He had an idea what that stack contained. Why did Luthor have to be one of the smartest men on the planet? Conner only had to take a couple steps into the room and the baldy lifted his head to see him.

"Ah. You're awake." Lex turned off the TV and set his iPad aside, smiling slightly. "How are you feeling?"

The teen just scowled and folded his arms. "Lousy."

"That's to be expected I suppose." A sad smirk came to the man's face. "Kryptonite seems to have no effect on normal humans, but causes a variety of symptoms in Kryptonians. Please, take a seat son."

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that?" Though he was purposely being rude, Conner did sit down in a nearby chair. He really did feel lousy.

Lex chuckled. "Rude though you be, you do have a point. You need a proper name. 'Superboy' doesn't quite suit you in a civilian setting. Have you another name I can call you?" When the teen just continued to glare at him, the man relented. "Another day perhaps. Do you remember what we were talking about before you tried to leave?"

Conner only glared at him for a few silent minutes. Of course he remembered. The radiation didn't inhibit his mind and neither did the red sunlight. Letting the silence be for a while, Luthor nodded. "I'll take that as a yes."

"I'm not dying," he growled, being as defiant as possible. He wasn't dying. He couldn't be!

"Not if I can help it." The teen blinked but kept up his glare. Luthor pretending to care wasn't that far from impossible. The cue ball waved a hand to the stack on the table. "Lab results, scans, and all the information still not analyzed from your tests. I assume you'd want to verify the findings yourself, but a common belief among my scientists suggests you do not go out and find answers from others at this point in time."

"Which is?" Folding his arms stubbornly, the alien boy cocked his head at him. So he could get all these lab results. They could be doctored. They could be someone else's results. He couldn't trust him, ever.

The man sighed slightly, then took the iPad on top of the stack. He fiddled with the screen as he spoke. "We believe the reason your insides are aging as quickly as they are is because of your Kryptonian DNA and the accelerated aging process."

"Yeah, I got that."

"Furthermore, we believe that so long as the Kryptonian DNA is active, you'll continue to deteriorate at this rate. But," he looked away from the pad and into his eyes, "if we make the powers from the DNA inert, the rate of deterioration will be slowed. Here." He placed the pad on the folders between them again, knowing he wasn't trusted. "The theory is, your aging problem stems from your yellow sunlight metabolization. It negatively reacts to your DNA and residual chemicals from the growth formula.

"If you don't absorb anymore yellow sunlight, the deterioration will slow dramatically. Using any powers apparently accelerates the deterioration process as well." Luthor looked Conner in the eye once he had the lad's attention. He wasn't scowling but blinking in surprise. "This place is saving your life. Staying here will allow you to live another ten years at least. Also being on hand will make testing easier so we can find a way to balance out the aging in your body, correcting the mistake.

"I'm trying to save your life."

That made the clone blink in disbelief. He hadn't detected any signs that the man was lying. In fact, he seemed quite earnest. Hesitantly, curious, he reached forward and took the tablet, looking through the file he brought up for him. He didn't have time to speed read through it without his powers, but looking at the diagrams, he could tell the sunlight metabolization that brought about his powers also activated the aging problem. Maybe there was something to this after all.

Keeping his face as stone as he tried to absorb it all, Luthor continued. "Now do you see why I was so insistent on making you come here? And keeping you indoors? I knew you wouldn't come willingly Superboy. I also knew Batman wouldn't let Robin die, and neither would you. Using him as bait was my best option. His life was hardly in danger, but like you staying with them would shorten your life, it would do the same to Robin. That is reality. In all of this exchange, it was a son for a son. I am doing everything I can to save you."

"Why didn't you just come out and tell me?" Conner demanded in a low voice. He was still trying to figure out if all of this was real.

"Would you have listened?" They looked each other in the eye as the man explained. "Superman has painted me in such a bad light, I don't believe any one of the League members would consider even a fraction of what I say to be the truth. And as you still seem to idolize the man, I didn't think you would either."

'_He's right_.' The clone couldn't ignore the fact they would have pushed this aside as Luthor's lies instantly, just because of the source. But from what he could see in the diagrams and data before him, it was hard to refute the possibility of it being true. If Batman or Flash or Martian Manhunter saw this data, they definitely would have looked into it. Or, he'd hope they would. '_I wouldn't have listened._'

Conner just stared at the information there for a long moment, trying to make sense of it all. He knew what the majority of the words were, but long medical terms and chemicals were harder to figure out. He'd need time to figure out exactly what was in these notes. So focused was he on the tablet, he didn't notice Lex getting up until the man put his hand on the lad's shoulder. A small comforting smile graced his lips.

"I'm just glad you're listening now. Take all the time you need to understand what's there. You'll be taking a break from testing for a while. The doctors believe it's important you rest after learning the truth and after being exposed to that much kryptonite all at once. They're meant to be a deterrent, not a punishment." He patted his shoulder for a second before pressing forward to leave for the night. "Dinner's on the counter. I'll be seeing you for lunch tomorrow. Remember to rest properly before then."

Conner glanced at him from the corner of his eye but didn't say a thing as the man left. There was just too much buzzing around his head to decide what he was feeling right then. He had to figure out what all these medical terms meant and how they applied to him. If they applied to him. He didn't want to think about Lex Luthor possibly caring.

* * *

A/N: So what do you think? Does Luthor care? Was he just using extreme measures to get his boy back to save him? Or is he a control freak psychopath who wants to own Conner? That is indeed the question.

I think you can tell when I wrote this chapter due to all the news cues. Please ignore them, they're just background. As for other things, I honestly believe that if Bats had been told this, he would look into if. Tim looked into the possibility of Connor being part Luthor in Teen Titans, and in Public Enemies Bats questioned Supes if Kryptonite affected his mind; so if there is a remote possibility that this was true, despite the source, it would be investigated by the League. Is any of this true? Well, you'll just have to wait and find out.


	15. And the Penny Drops

Back to the others! Now I think it's pretty common knowledge that even though we have all these powerful heroes in DCland, Dick Grayson is the most powerful character(until the fifty-poo XP). He has more influence over the crime fighting community than anyone. So when he's mad at someone, he can get everyone else to be mad at them too. Thankfully he's an easygoing guy and doesn't use his influence very often. Here he does. Enjoy!

* * *

**15 - And the Penny Drops**

The team just gaped at Robin, scandalized. Did this really happened? Was this really happening? Were they really used like that?

"Bull," Artemis whispered. There was no way...

But Robin just nodded, growling and glaring behind his sunglasses. "That's why I'm staying here, at least until Batman stops being a self-righteous prick and Connor's back."

"Batman couldn't have been..." M'gann just gaped at him, unable to think their commander and chief was capable of that much deceit. Wally and Kaldur exchanged knowing looks, having heard from their mentors how manipulative the dark knight could be. He used the League on numerous occasions to achieve his ends.

Course they overworked him too, so until then they thought it was fair play. Looked like he'd use them too if he felt like it.

"He had us staking out Luthor last week," Wally reminded them, donning coming to his face. "I think he was trying to find a lead on you. When he called us off, Conner was gone. Said he was off seeing his new family..."

"Family being Lex Luthor," Zatanna finished for them. She breathed out heavily, not happy with this either. Everyone looked at Robin, very mad behind his sunglasses. Even a fight with Batman wasn't going to make him break his promise to him. Not on this at least. Bruce hadn't even flinched when he stalked out of the manor with a backpack (may have helped he went out the window though). Thank heavens it was summer vacation. "Why didn't he tell us you were missing?"

Robin tried not to glare as he explained things to her. "Do you have any idea how many times I've been taken captive? One of my nicknames is 'boy hostage'. Another is 'human target'. He probably didn't want to worry everyone about me or turn me and my history into a joke... again." It was all about saving face.

"But... an exchange?" Zatanna asked exactly what everyone else wanted to know. "Why did he want to trade you for Conner?"

That was indeed the mystery. Luthor only showed interest in him on one or two occasions, always to use him for his own ends. Conner didn't respond well to the guy. Didn't change he was the intended target though.

"Doesn't matter. What matters is that we get him back." Quickly Robin brought up a holo-screen and tapped away to bring up everything he'd gotten off of Batman's computer before going AWOL on him. "I've got a lead on where they had me, and I know where the exchange was. Maybe if we look over these places, ask questions, we'll find some way to get in contact with him. Superman's been looking into as many of Luthor's buildings as he can, searching for him that way, but so far no such luck."

"And what's Batman doing?" Wally asked, trying to see what the detective was up to and if they'd be stepping on toes soon.

His friend's face darkened considerably in anger. "Be darned if I know. He doesn't tell me anything." The acrobat turned on the balls of his feet towards the private quarters. "Suit up, and bring an extra set of clothes. We're headed to Bludhaven."

His teammates exchanged weary looks before going their separate ways to get ready to go. Wally's jaw firmed up as he ran to where his best friend was getting changed in a moment and started asking the real questions. "So, where were you all last week if they did the exchange ages ago?"

Dick's jaw tightened as he changed shirts. He did not want to talk about this. He just wanted to find Connor and punish Bruce for doing the exchange. Getting the team against him (super easy under the circumstances) and saving Connor themselves was a great way to do that.

"Well?"

He briefly glared at the speedster and continued to change in silence. He was not going to explain it. He didn't have to. He already told them he was unconscious during the exchange; they didn't need to know more.

"Dude, I called you about twenty times and you didn't pick up once." The glare from the ginger's face struck him a bit. He didn't want him to be mad, or any of his friends. "What else happened?"

"I was in recovery." That's all he wanted to say. Recovery.

"For what? I don't see any bandages." Wally's persistence was astounding.

Dick looked away, not wanting to say it. But knowing Wally, he'd get his uncle on the horn, get him in on the rampage, then have him find out from Batman. That's if they didn't both tickle the intel out of him. "For having my stomach pumped."

"Stomach pumped?" Bewilderment grew on the guy's face. Not that it wasn't uncommon in anything bat related, but still... "Why did you need your stomach pumped?"

He hesitated again before answering, not looking at him in the slightest. "While in captivity, they fed me. The guard ate the same food I did so I knew it wasn't poisoned..." He closed his eyes in pain for a moment then continued. "Turned out they were laced with nanobombs. Had to have my stomach pumped while I was unconscious or I would have been blown to smithereens like Steve Hawes. He was my jailer. Pretty decent guy for a jailer..."

"Wait, let me get this straight." Wally's eyes fell on him, sorting everything out. "You got kidnapped and was tricked into having nanobombs in your body. Batman traded Conner for you, then had your stomach pumped to make sure you didn't die?"

"Pretty much."

"You're in recovery for a week, then when you found out what happened, you came straight here?" Dick nodded again. His friend gaped at him in concern. "Are you alright? I mean seriously you're-"

"I'm fine!" He turned his icy glare on his friend. "Just royally mad! He never should have done the exchange. Conner would be here and that guy wouldn't be dead if he hadn't." Frustration grew on his face, turning his cheeks redder by the minute. How dare he just do that and then not tell him! He sacrificed two lives for his! "Bruce went too far this time!"

"I get it, you're mad!" Wally shouted over him. "We all are! But please! See it from another perspective!" He settled his glare on the guy, explaining everything he could. "Batman was worried about you! He sent us to look for you without making a scene for pity's sake! You know how he goes a little crazy when you're in danger. Conner's like that too. They're a lot alike now that I think about it. Are we sure Luthor's the human side of him?"

"Wally-"

"All that aside, I'm willing to believe this was all Conner's idea." The shock on Dick's face as he said this didn't stop him from going forward with this thought. "Bats wouldn't have kept him in the dark since it concerned him, and he wouldn't have done the exchange if he could help it. They both knew you'd be mad at them too. But they did it because they didn't see another option.

"Now be honest: how are you feeling, physically?"

The bird's mouth clenched and relaxed several times in a row before looking away and admitting the truth. "Still a bit ill, but a lot better than before. I was pretty weak after waking up. I think the sedative was complicating things. I'm good enough to be in the field."

Wally nodded, understanding what he was saying pretty easily. Had his stomach pumped once when he was ten. "And you didn't respond to my calls because..."

"Alfred took my phone." He finished putting on his uniform and added his mask, a twinge of guilt on his face. "Said it was too much of a distraction from healing."

"And how does the saint of the bat-house feel about this?" The speedster folded his arms, watching him carefully. Robin wasn't too fond of all the questions.

"He's... not really talking about it..."

"Have you called him since running off?" Guilt finally appeared on the acrobat's face. Without another word, Wally took out his phone and passed it to him. "Tell him where you're staying and why right now or you'll regret it. I'll go scrounge some backpacks for us."

"They know I'm here," the bitter bird pouted. He hadn't turned off his tracers (yet). Batman would have checked the signal by then. Having them on is what kept the man away instead of hovering over him in the background.

"He's like your grandpa right? How do you think he feels about you disappearing twice?" Now Robin really couldn't look up. Wally smirked at him, tapping his phone again. "Call him. Just him. Bats deserves to sweat for a while."

Numbly the acrobat took the phone, letting his friend go off to get himself ready for the mission they put themselves on. Yeah, he should call Alfred and let him know he was alright. Numbly he dialed the number he knew by heart and waited for it to ring. It wasn't going to be the best conversation, but it was sure easier to do than finding Conner and bringing him back.

* * *

A/N: I love Wally and Dick's friendship. Wally calls him on his BS so easily and makes him think for a minute. Poor Alfred, caught between two stubborn bats... He gets a magnificent scene later but he's not in a lot of the story. Oh well. Same with Wally, though he's somewhat the hero in here and in more of it. He may seem less worried about Conner than the rest, but he also knows he can handle himself. Dick's right in front of him and he's doing worse than he lets on, hence why he called him on his BS. while everyone else frets over Conner, he's responsible for the bird boy. So fun.

Now a few of the chapters may seem to drag on soon, but they're wonderful plot builders. until next time! ^^V


	16. No Answer to a Straight Question

I just realize that we are past the half way point. YAY! only 14 more chapters to go after this one! I also changed the cover cuz the first one wasn't all that good. I've gotten better at drawing... at least a little. Keep reading! More hints to the future and problems are coming up.

* * *

**16 - No Answer to a Straight Question**

Bruce rubbed his eyes, vision blurring after too many hours of working. Hacking into Luthor's systems by a new route every time he searched them for clues on Superboy's whereabouts was tiring. Why he still did this every morning since the exchange eluded him now. It was well over a week since then and there were no changes in the records there from even before it. Wherever the megalomaniac was keeping him, it was in a place completely off the record.

He prayed the team or Superman was having more luck than he was on this.

Briefly he checked Dick's tracer in his belt to make sure he was still where he last checked he was. Bludhaven. Backtracking all of Robin's movements while incarcerated was something only the boy wonder could do, so he let him go without a fight. He called Alfred last night to confirm he was alright so that worry was set aside, but it didn't settle the uneasiness that came whenever the boy ran off. Then again if Bruce didn't let him go, he'd only hate him more. At least he kept his tracer on and was with trusted allies. Physically he wasn't going to lose him any time soon.

But with his little bird this mad at him, he wouldn't be surprised if they stopped talking for a very long time. The dynamic duo wouldn't be appearing in public for a while.

The CEO massaged his forehead for a minute before leaving his computer console. He had a day job to take care of too, and other cases that needed solving. Conner wasn't on backburner, but he had other responsibilities to take care of. Even Superman had to check in with the Daily Planet every day. Likelihood of either of them tripping across a lead was growing slimmer by the day. No message from Conner yet meant one of two things: Luthor made it impossible for him to contact anyone, or the clone was in a position where he could do nothing at all.

Sighing heavily, he picked up his suit jacket and headed back upstairs to one of the cars. The team better find some kind of lead. His ideas were running out.

* * *

"Can you think of any other sites Luthor's been at in the past two weeks?" Clark Kent was talking to one of his informants in Lex's security team, the one who just told him where he'd be, nothing else. He was deliberately paid to do that too. Half the intel would be false, but if it's old, he was more likely to tell the truth.

The African-American guard shrugged. "He's been keeping to himself a lot lately. Some big project or something like that.

"Look, Kent, as much as I'd like to help, he hasn't been running things through my department lately." The man honestly looked a little lost. "In my experience, that means one of two things: it's about something shady or it's something personal. And judging on the few times I have seen him, it's personal. He's had this look in his eye I only see from people worried about their families. And when it's something like that, I don't pry."

Taking that as the end of the interview, Clark sighed. He already knew of those places Luthor went to. Visited them even, as Superman and as Clark Kent. Nothing. He thanked his source and went on his way, frustrated above anything else.

Looking at the sky, he thought about his short meeting with Bruce and Dick the other day. He really did a number driving a wedge between them. The way Bruce explained it, it was clear he didn't want this to happen and had been struggling to find a way to save both boys for days. Truth be told, the dark knight was more of a father to his clone than he was at the beginning. Clark still couldn't take the idea of being his father to heart, but the two settled into a more sibling like relationship. Connor's parents would be his parents, and frankly everyone was better off for that.

Looking for his brother now nearly consumed his mind, and he'd only been missing a week. Rubbing his eyes, the reporter couldn't fathom how he was going to find him now. If he was at the exchange, things would have gone much differently. Then again, if he was there, it never would have happened. In this, he and Dick were united. It never should have happened.

Sighing heavily, he took out his phone and dialed a familiar number. "Lois? It's Clark. Do you have anything on projects Luthor's working on off the books? Or a location not in his database that he's working on?"

* * *

Robin slid through the air shaft without any problem whatsoever, landing evenly in the subterranean part of Thorul Storage and Freight. It was the only closed off part of the structure and thus the most likely place to hold someone. As soon as he landed, he knew he hit pay dirt. This was where he was held.

"How can you stand these things all the time?" Artemis' growl was amusing as she struggled out of the shaft. There were advantages to being small and not having a big bow and quiver on your back. She came out after him, not even the slightest bit happy about it. Zatanna after her was even more upset than she was. Aqualad came out last, not complaining but certainly not happy.

"Habit. Practice. Pick a word." He stepped forward, looking towards where the elevator was. He could figure out exactly where his cell was from there, or at least a general location. He didn't remember this hallway being so bright, and it was only the sound of an elevator he could pinpoint, nothing else. Steve Hawes kept his mouth shut about where they were rather well. If he wasn't such a freakin' good person, they wouldn't have had to kill him off when Luthor was done. But killing him made this place easy to find later.

Scowling, he spotted where the cameras were and brought up his computer. Quickly he hacked into the place's network and took control of the cameras (which were few and far between) so they wouldn't be seen. These guys were on a different wavelength than the ones outside this level, otherwise he'd have messed with them earlier. As it was, the cameras and their entire security grid was in the palm of his hand. It made him smirk, proud of his accomplishments thus far.

"Okay, search the area. We're looking for a Plexiglas cell with a light in front of it and in direct line of sight of the elevator. The glass has half inch holes in it about a foot apart from each other. It should be about twenty yards from the elevator."

"They may have replaced the door by now," Zatanna offered, not seeing anything but rolling down doors before her or to either side.

"Maybe..." He grudgingly admitted. It had been over a week.

"What kind of elevator are we talking about?" Artemis asked, looking around already.

"Freight. It sounded really heavy before." Mentally he tried to bring up everything he could remember about his cell. The rest of the hallway was dark and he couldn't remember too many other details. "There may be some scratches on the floor from a metal folding chair, the cheap kinds they have for extra guests at school. ... I don't think there was a room across the way, just solid concrete."

"Understood. Artemis, Zatanna, go left. Robin and I will go right. Contact us if you find the cell first." Everyone nodded to Aqualad's orders and started down their directions, looking through the underground facility. All of them were hoping Miss Martian and Kid Flash were finding out where the paperwork was upstairs without a problem. Normally that'd be Robin's job, but he needed to correctly identify the place and had to be with them. After that was done, he'd join the others.

Lost in his mental search and looking around rapidly, the bird jumped slightly at his teammate's voice. "Are you certain about this place?"

"Positive."

"And about coming back?" Robin cast him a sidelong look at the question. What? Raising an eyebrow, Kaldur explained. "Kidnappings can be quite traumatizing. Memories of the event-"

"I've been kidnapped before." The boy looked forward, trying to press on and get this part over with. "A lot. This is nothing new. To me, places are places. Only a few of them bring back memories, and for the most part only the good ones. The rest just give me facts. And the facts are that I've been here before. Just need to know exactly where."

"A man who kept you captive here, but was fair, is dead." This gave the boy reason to pause for a moment, contending with the swirling emotions inside him. "The only memories you have of him are in this place. As there is no other link to him but here, one would think you would be hesitant to return."

Robin didn't answer for a long moment, focusing on looking around. Truth be told, the place creeped him out. Thinking about how he woke up there and how he was knocked out was reason enough for that feeling. The pangs of guilt which came from knowing Steve was killed shortly afterwards was something he tried to ignore. It was scary how right the Atlantean could be.

But there was something else he held on to while doing this search. Conner. "Kal, I'd be lying if I said this place didn't bother me, but this is where it started, the only solid link between where Superboy is and my abduction. We don't really have much of a choice."

Kaldur paused a moment before agreeing. "No, I guess not."

"I think we went too far." The detective pointed to a staircase and a standard elevator just before them. "That's for handicaps and people with small stuff, fire regulations. There should be one on the opposite corner of the level and staircases at each corner."

"Meaning the girls will be finding the larger elevator shortly."

"Don't count your chickens yet. Or tuna for that matter." A thought struck the teen and he looked at the fishboy curiously. The older teen was looking at him in confusion anyway. "Hey, what do Atlanteans count before they come to... fruition? Pearls? Oysters?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well I was just thinking-"

"_I think we found it Rob_." Artemis' voice came over the com just then, saving both of them from an explanation. "_The elevator was easy, but finding the right place was harder than we thought. There's some chair scratches on the floor though about twenty yards in. Care to take a look?_"

"We'll be right over." The boys looked at each other once before sprinting over to where the girls were. The team's leader watched the younger one for a moment before speaking more.

"This conversation is not over."

"Are they ever over?"

* * *

A/N: Actually, that conversation as far as we're concerned is over. So! Bruce is checking out the megalomaniac's computers, Clark is checking his personnel, and the team is backtracking what happened to Robin. Hopefully something will pan out. Robin started making that joke to get away from the uneasiness he felt in that place. And it's a good question. What do Atanteans count? Tuna is the "chicken of the sea", but I dont' think they'd count that.


	17. Life is Pain, Highness

Back to Conner, trying to be as smart as one daddy and being as investigative as the other. Enjoy the bonding!

* * *

**17 - Life is Pain, Highness**

Connor's head hurt. Anyone's would after reading that many documents and sitting still for most of the night and morning. He hadn't slept, despite being exhausted from the kryptonite. He wanted answers, and the only way he'd get those was through studying. Lots of studying.

The papers, books, files, and iPad were still on the coffee table in front of the large screen TV. The static channel was on for background noise the entire time, calming him down as he went through everything with a fine tooth comb. The reason it went so long and why it was still waiting for him after lunch was simple.

He didn't want to believe it.

Still, as he poked at his very green salad, he couldn't help but see the facts fall into place. The science, as far as he could tell, was sound. Everything fell into place before him, to the point there was no denying it. Unless he went through the tests again with someone outside the building and off of Luthor's payroll and found different results, everything was conclusive.

Connor, being a clone, was going to die.

Granted, fifteen to twenty years was still a good amount of time, but he was only a year old. Had he already lived sixteen years, he could have taken the idea of mortality a little better. If that were the case, in fifteen or twenty years he'd be in his thirties, had a job, a family maybe, and a life people would know about. Had he been normal that is. Could he even have kids? And staying sixteen for the entire time...

"Are you feeling alright?"

Lex Luthor's question coming straight across the short table jerked the clone out of his revere. The man was looking at him with some concern. "You've hardly touched your food."

"Not really hungry." The teen let his fork click against the china listlessly as he slouched in his chair, looking off into space. His insides felt hollow and he didn't know what to do. Maybe he was hungry, but he didn't feel like eating.

"You need to keep up your strength son," Luthor persisted. "If the food isn't up to your liking, I can-"

"I said I'm not hungry!" he snapped, glaring at the man before him. Rao... Couldn't he just leave him alone?

A slight cold glare appeared on the man's face. "No need to get snippy at me young man. I just know that without the sun's yellow rays, you're going to need to rely on other methods of gathering energy. And as you're half human-"

Conner slapped the table and got up, glaring daggers at the man. "Yeah, thanks for that! Thanks for making me half human and forcing me to grow, all so I could die pretty in a few years as your weapon!"

"Superboy!" Lex shouted after him as the teen marched away from the table and back to his room to sulk. Not like he could do much else there.

Slamming the door behind him, Conner leaned his back against it and sighed heavily, not really knowing what else to do. He couldn't lash out at Luthor, not with those bracelets on. He really couldn't even stay angry at him. He was the second try at making an adolescent Superman, and the first one was unstable. They didn't know that when they made him and added the growth formula, he'd only have so many years to live. Trial and error. No amount of calculations could predict every outcome.

So what could he do? The facts were clear and he didn't really have a choice. Exhausted and filled with emptiness, the clone drifted over to the bed and collapsed on it, face first. He grabbed one of the large pillows on it and held it close, trying to get some comfort from it. It worked for the others so why not him?

Lost in his thoughts, or lack thereof, he didn't realize he was asleep until someone touched him. Jerking slightly awake, he barely saw Luthor's hand as it barely left his head. Was he petting him? Like a dog? While he slept? He turned his head to glare at the cue ball sitting on the edge of his bed. The man didn't flinch at his gaze, but did smirk sadly after a minute.

"You haven't made a peep all afternoon," he explained. "I was beginning to get worried. We don't know a thing about Kryptonian illnesses."

Conner glared at him a moment longer before turning back away and trying to ignore him. He really did not want to deal with Luthor anymore, especially if he was going to be treated as a pet. A caged animal. The man sighed heavily and readjusted himself on the bed. "Look, I know this is hard for you, but my people agree this may be the best environment for you. At least here you have a chance at having a longer life. We may even be able to fix this in time, find some way to balance out the aging process. That being said, you really need to stay here."

The teen said nothing in response, not in the slightest bit comforted. How could he understand? It wasn't just the fact he was caged that hurt. It was how he was made to die. He was made by these people to kill Superman, his kin and mentor if nothing else, and then die. What kind of life was that? He may as well be Luthor's exotic pet.

Getting no response, Lex tried again. "This won't be forever. When the time is right, you'll be allowed to go out of here. You'll be presented to society one day as my son and heir."

"What good is that?" came Conner's smart reply. "I'll die before you retire, and the League will be all over you the second I'm on TV."

"Possibly," the man admitted, "but now that you know the facts, you can choose wisely. They can't take you away from your father if you're unwilling to go. It isn't their style.

"I really am the only one who can help you son. And I will do everything in my power to give you the longest and best life possible."

The teen's heart throbbed as he spoke, sensing the man wasn't lying to him. As good as the League's resources were, Luthor had all the details regarding his creation and about his symptoms. He had the people and the technology, plus the knowhow. Unless he was able to get copies of everything and take it with him when he ran for the League, leaving would do more harm than good.

But a question lingered in his mind. "Why?"

"Because you deserve to live as long as possible," came Luthor's reply, almost as if he practiced it.

"No..." Conner turned his head back around to look at the man again, misery and confusion all across his features as he tried asking again. "Why are you doing this? What can you possibly gain from trying to save me? I'm just an experiment gone wrong."

Lex's face stilled for a long minute in silence, as if really looking at him for the first time without any ulterior motives. Contemplative and sad. He looked away for a moment then started to talk. "There comes a point in a person's life when they want more than money and power. A man I know... a bit younger than myself and an accomplished businessman... he told me once that his greatest joy came from his son, not his success in the world. I usually don't listen to him, but what he said stayed with me. You are my son, and despite how or why you were originally created, I am still your father. And I honestly do care about your wellbeing.

"And there... there's this unconditional love all parents have for their children," he added, stumbling for a moment with the words. It was strange not seeing the man as confident as Conner had seen him before. He seemed to really be struggling with what he was saying. "I don't want to see you die, or to suffer like you would if you stayed with your team. From our calculations, the deterioration in ten years will be quite painful."

Conner looked away as a fear filled knife plunged into his chest. He saw the reports too. 'Quite painful' didn't even begin to describe it. From the reports and extra reading materials he found, one organ shutting down would cripple a person for life. Several in a row and... A hand came to his shoulder to calm him, and it did.

"I'm not going to let that happen to you," Luthor promised. "Not if I have anything to say about it."

"Don't touch me," the clone murmured out of principle. He didn't jerk away like he should have either. Was it so wrong for him to take comfort in his words and in the human contact? In his distant and depressed mental state, maybe it was. Still, he felt a little guilty for starting to see Lex Luthor differently than Superman did. What would he say?

Smiling sadly, the CEO let go. "If you insist. But know I am always here for you son. I promise."

The teen looked at the man for a moment, contemplating him, then looked into the pillow he was still hugging. Conversing like this was uncomfortable, but it was better than their earlier talks. Civil even. He could feel the man getting off the bed he was still laying on but didn't move. "Will you be wanting anything for dinner? Or are you planning on starving yourself?"

Conner said nothing for a moment before muttering just loud enough to be heard. "I'll just make a sandwich later."

Luthor shrugged and sighed slightly. "I guess that'll have to do. I have an early morning meeting tomorrow and it'll take the majority of the day. Mercy will check on you while I'm out and make certain Corben hasn't done anything uncalled for. I'll see you for dinner tomorrow, if you're up to it."

The teen didn't respond, his mind going blank once again. Luthor was quite a confusing person lately. Maybe he really did care. Connor's shoulders shrugged slightly, sign enough that the man was heard. The man nodded once and opened the bedroom door to leave. "Goodnight son."

As soon as the door was closed, the Kryptonian raised from his stupor and looked at it. Luthor was gone once again with a promise to return. Listlessly, Conner replied. "G'night."

* * *

A/N: Ten points if you can guess who told Lex that. I can be very predictable. So! lex is acting like a concerned parent, and Conner is starting to change the way he treats him. He didn't touch the man because he didn't want the bracelets to go off, but he acted like an angsty teen anyway. Mentally he also curses like Superman. The kid is getting very confused and scared here.

Back to the bats tomorrow.


	18. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead

Back to Bruce and Dick! Just how are they managing without each other? Let's find out!

* * *

**18 - I'll Sleep When I'm Dead**

Bruce looked through the paperwork before him about a hundred times and it still didn't make much sense to him. His brain wasn't functioning properly and everything he tried to work on just fell to pieces. Well with practically no sleep for the past week and a half, it was no wonder he wasn't functional at the office. It was just a good thing Lucius Fox was such a competent and trustworthy second in command. He was only supposed to give it a once over then sign the bottom anyway. Still, he liked to know what was going on in his family's company.

Frustrated with himself, he finally gave in to the concept of needing rest. A half hour nap wouldn't be noticed by anyone outside his office door. The CEO set the papers back down and leaned back in his very comfortable chair, letting his eyes close at last. Thoughts died away because of exhaustion and soon he was inside a dreamless slumber.

"Bruce, are you alright?"

In an instant the large man jerked up straight, wide awake and ready to strike. Lucius Fox thankfully had experience waking Bruce Wayne, and wisely stayed on the other side of the oak desk, merely calling out to him. It saved both of them from trying to explain a twisted arm and a series of bruises.

The younger man blinked himself awake after the start and looked over to his partner. "Lucius..."

"Good morning," the other joked, mildly amused.

"How long was I out?" Stiffly he stretched his back and started cracking his neck. It hurt to turn it one direction so he knew it'd been longer than the half hour he planned on.

"Well... let's put it this way. You have ten minutes to be ready and fully briefed on that deal with Dagget." He gave his employer a slightly amused eyebrow. "I have no idea when you passed out."

Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. He was planning on canceling that. He only needed a closer look at Dagget and his men for a case he was working on for the past month. Having a last minute 'change of heart' about ten minutes before the meeting instead of an hour before was not part of the plan. Looked like he'd have to cancel the deal in front of a live audience. Now to let Lucius convince him this was a bad idea. "Right..."

"Been burning the midnight oil?" His partner raised an eyebrow as Bruce as he got up and started stretching out all the kinks.

"Something like that."

"You look horrible."

Bruce smirked and brushed it off as always. "Just been partying too hard. Taking advantage of summer vacation."

"No, I really mean you look bad." Concern grew on his face as he tried to drive a point through the guy. "No amount of concealer is going to fool someone who knows you Bruce. What's really wrong?"

For a moment he debated telling him part of the story, maybe get some advice, but he decided against it. He wanted to keep Lucius as far from Batman and the crime fighting community as possible to keep him and his family safe. Bringing his troubles to the table wasn't an option here. After that moment, Bruce looked away and walked around the desk to start heading out. "It's personal."

"Bruce-"

"Are those numbers still not adding up with Daggett?" The neat subject change to something more on task couldn't be pushed aside, forcing his business ally to drop the matter for now. Lucius would recognize it and the next move he'd pull after the meeting no doubt. The older man knew most of his tricks for getting out of meetings by now.

Sighing heavily, the African-American nodded. He tapped the tablet he was holding on to, sending the updated information to his employer. Bruce had barely picked his own up as they started going to the meeting room. "I think something's going on for them under the table but I can't pinpoint exactly where. His numbers keep steady or keep going up while ours fluctuate with the rest of the economy."

"That is interesting. Think we should ask him what his secret is?"

Now he shook his head. "Not a good idea. I asked one of my friends on his board and he told me people tend to go missing when they ask too many questions about the numbers. I'm thinking we should just walk away from this and let the IRS take a gander."

"Maybe..." Bruce chewed on the thought as they transverse the halls, his mind half there and half not. "We should at least hear him out before saying no though right? Just to be polite."

"Would be a bad idea to just turn him down flat," Lucius agreed. He brought up another file and passed his pad to Bruce. "I have a list of excuses we can use that won't look suspicious."

He looked through it for a minute and nodded. "Alright. We'll listen to his pitch then seem to debate it while bringing these up, out of order. After five are out there, we can come to the conclusion that it's not good for either of us at this time. Agreed?"

A sly smile crossed the older man's lips. "Your time as a socialite is really helping. You're getting better at this every day Mr. Wayne."

"Why thank you Mr. Fox." They gave each other slight mocking bows before entering the elevator. "I've had quite a few good teachers."

Very good teachers indeed. Letting Lucius take the lead here was the best option. It took all his concentration to not pass out and to think about the task at hand. He needed a good mug of coffee or two, then he could really get back to work. The crisis wasn't over, not by a long shot.

* * *

"Dude, you need some sleep," Wally groaned testily. "Like now."

Dick halfway ignored him as he looked through the printouts of what they found at the storage facility. He needed a physical look at everything in order to compare them properly. As good as he was with computers, he wasn't a miracle worker. While his compy worked on finding similarities between Thorul and Luthor besides the anagram, he was trying to find other leads. Following money and shipments.

Unfortunately he'd been at it all night and well into the next day. He lost track of time, but the numbers were starting to make more sense right then, he was sure of it!

"That's what you said two hours ago," his best friend started, making Dick blink in surprise. Had he said that out loud? Glaring, the speedster grabbed the younger one's arm and pulled him to his feet and off the couch. "Come on. You're going to bed. Now."

"But I'm so close!" the bird insisted. "All I need is a few more minutes and-"

"That translates into 'let me face plant into the papers, get a grade 1 concussion, break my glasses, and expose my secret identity' in Bat right?" Wally gave him a knowing look, striking the youth a bit. "Cause, that's where you're headed if I just let this go."

"I'm fine," Dick growled unhappily.

"Only if you run off coffee. Like another certain, stubborn Bat I know." The younger teen froze at the mention, horrifying realization coming to him. He was not acting like Bruce. There was no way... The two glared at each other for a minute before the redhead tried again. "Look, Connor's been gone for over a week, nearly two. I'm pretty sure he'll be fine with you taking eighty winks while the rest of us look through what we've got. We'll notify you if something turns up or if a grouchy guest arrives. You're no use to anyone when you're half dead from exhaustion, and remember you just barely got back on your feet again, boy blunder."

Dick pouted at the derogatory nickname and pulled his arm out of his friend's grip. Giving up, he grumbled. "Fine. I'll get some rest. But wake me up the minute you find something."

Wally nodded, satisfied. "Kay. Password still the same on your glove? Just in case there's a notification from it while you're asleep."

"Yours is." He smirked slightly then strode past him to get to his room. One hand brushed the wall just in case a wave of dizziness hit him, but he looked over his shoulder for a moment and waved anyway. "Goodnight, Flash Boy."

"Ha ha ha..." The speedster rolled his eyes and watched him leave to make sure he went the right direction. Dick slowly made his way to the bedroom he used while in the mountain, letting his thoughts drift a bit. He really was tired, but knowing Conner was out there, trapped and possibly in pain because of him, nagged at him continuously. Did he have the right to be happy or rest while he was in their enemy's hands? It was that thought keeping him awake this long.

Still his mind and body wasn't functioning properly. If he was going to save his friend, he needed his rest. Before he knew it, his sunglasses were off of his face and a mattress was in its place. Willpower only worked for so long and his body was spent. Superboy would forgive a few hours rest. It was like Wally said: he did not run off of coffee. That was Bruce's superpower.

* * *

A/N: I think ignoring the body's needs is a bat-trait. Yeah, this'll make more sense later, but mostly know that these two are being stupid, one on his own and the other with people who will call him on it. Without Wally, I'm pretty sure Dick would have done something incredibly stupid. thank heavens he's around. But what's gonna happen to Bruce on his own? So much fun.

Tomorrow we go back to Conner, and Lex revisits an earlier question.


	19. Oh What's In A Name!

A rose by any other name... is still a rose. One or two issues will now be addressed. Please enjoy.

* * *

**19 - Oh What's In A Name!**

"Why do you watch static?"

Lex's question jerked Conner from his thoughts, startling him slightly. He still wasn't used to not hearing everyone before they said something. Luthor must be enjoying getting the drop on him, but he never said anything about it.

The clone was busy occupying his time as always, watching static while looking through the test readouts and trying to make complete sense of it. Maybe if he looked through them enough, he'd find a solution to fix himself, or so he kept telling himself. Honestly everything was a jumble in his brain and he hardly understood all the science behind it. The apartment included a well-stocked library which he used constantly for references. Many books were scattered along with the papers, displaying how much he was working on this. If it were about any other subject, one could even think he was a student doing a research project.

With his head so full of scientific and medical terms he almost forgot the TV was on. "Huh?"

Luthor pointed to the screen, raising an eyebrow. "This television picks up over a thousand channels worldwide. I know there's usually nothing good on," he cracked a smile at the comment, "but every time I come in here and see the screen, it's static. Why?"

Connor shrugged, setting aside a notebook he translated everything in a file folders into. "I like the white noise."

That made the cue ball blink. "Come again?"

Getting up from the couch to get to the table (Luthor was usually there for dinner and he didn't like it when Conner refused to join him), he tried to explain. "I can... could hear everything. When I left my pod... the sounds of the world was almost overwhelming. There's just too much sometimes..."

He looked away momentarily, remembering how deafening the world was for him at first. Everything became gradually louder as he left Cadmus, giving him a bit of a headache. He had to focus on listening to the wind alone to calm him when they made it to the outside, and he still hadn't learned how to focus on small sounds at that time. He didn't know how to control that power quite yet. Wally even gave him earplugs to help for a while. It was Robin who helped him with his super hearing.

"I have a really bad temper too, partly because of that. One night when everyone fell asleep after a movie," he continued, "the TV became like this and it was all I could hear or see. It didn't hurt my ears and the motions on the screen were mesmerizing. I could calm down. Been watching it ever since to control my temper and drown out the world."

Luthor was silent for a moment before pointing to the TV. "So you find this... therapeutic?"

"It works." Sitting at the table, he cast a look towards the kitchen where Mercy was putting together their dinner. Looked like a roast, some kind of salad, a fruit dish and rolls. "That's all that matters."

"I see." And it seemed he really did understand. Smirking slightly, the man joined him at the small table they ate at. "Personally I listen to Bach and run through a simple formula when I need to relax, but I don't have super hearing. If you'd like, I can recommend a few sound bites that have a similar effect to static: waterfalls, rustling trees, wind through a canyon-"

"I'll stick to static, thanks." Conner waved it aside nicely, not wanting anything more from this man. As much as he liked the sounds of static, he didn't want to connect to anything Luthor recommended, out of principle. If by the slimmest chance he managed to leave this place, he wanted no habit formed there as a reminder.

If. Once upon a time it was 'when'. But could he even leave? The consequences didn't look good either way.

"Suit yourself." Dinner was placed before them and both placed their napkins on their laps properly. Another thing the clone learned quickly was how much Lex loved manners. He could still feel the minor twinges of pain going up his arms for not following protocol. A bit into the meal and he made his first correction of that night. "Smaller bites son. Never eat as if you are hungry."

Just before Conner could put his piece of meat into his mouth, he stopped and looked at it. It was a little on the larger side, but not by much. Stupid Luthor and his edict rules... Glaring at the megalomaniac, he put the piece down and cut it in half, just to make the man stop criticizing him. The small smirk on the man's face as he put the smaller piece into his mouth was really annoying. "Well done."

"Whatever."

They ate in silence for a moment or two more before Luthor cleared his throat to talk. "Have you given any more thought to telling me your name?"

"You already know it," he stated quickly. "It's Superboy. End of story."

"That it is," the man agreed, "but I can't introduce you to people as Superboy. It's hardly a name really, and quite tacky in a conversation. You need a proper name. Haven't you... ah... picked a secret identity? A civilian persona?"

Conner already thought of a way around this, glaring down at his food as he spoke to conceal whether he was lying or not. "What do I need one of those for? I don't get out much." He cut another piece of meat off and raised it to his lips nonchalantly. "I live and breathe to help people. It's what I do... what I was made for. Doesn't leave a lot of time to socialize."

Luthor eyed him for a long minute in silence, seemingly deciding whether or not to believe him. Since Conner Kent wasn't a well-known figure nor had come to Metropolis (only Superboy did), likelihood of him not being believed was small. Eventually the adult gave up, sighing slightly. "No, I guess not. A workaholic at such a young age..." He shook his head, smirking sadly. "We're more alike than I thought."

The comment made the teen drop his fork in shock, nearly gaping at the air before him in horror. He wanted to shout and scream they were nothing alike, to turn over the table on him in rage, but he couldn't. The one observation was true. They were both workaholics. Why oh why did Luthor have to be his other genetic donor?!

"Well, all that aside," Lex persisted, purposely ignoring his surprise, "you need a proper name to go by in public. Any preferences?" The lad couldn't answer, his head still ringing with the idea of the two of them being so much alike. "No? Well then, there's always tradition. My full name is Alexander Joseph Luthor. How about Alexander Junior?"

"No way in hell." The idea of being called 'Junior' knocked him back into reality, even though it was still spinning. 'Superboy' was bad enough a reminder of his origins. Being called Junior by Lex Luthor would be torture.

"Language." The man's tone made Conner cringe back into his chair for a minute, eyes on the hand leading to the bracelets' control in his pocket. It was reaching towards it.

"Sorry..." he murmured, trying to avoid pain. "But... it's as bad as Superboy. I'd just be the second generation of another person again. So no thanks."

This seemed to appease him and his hand back away from the device's spot. "I see... Understandable. Everyone wishes to be his own man one day." He looked up in thought for a moment, then at the teen again. "You don't look like a Joseph either. How about Lionel?"

"Lionel?" What was that? Some kind of made up word? Whoever was named that was a poor soul indeed. And judging by the way Luthor was looking at him, it'd be the name he was going to be called.

"After my father. A great man." The CEO smiled politely, but not sincerely. He may be honoring his father this way, but it wasn't out of love. "He started my company, but had little vision. Relieving him of his burden was an act of love.

"Lionel Luthor the second..." Lex smirked. "That has a nice ring to it. But it's missing something..." A pleased smile grew on his face. "Lionel Alexander Luthor the Second. How does that sound son?"

Connor watched him for a long moment, not really liking the name but not hating it either. "Do I really have a choice in the matter?"

The man's smile became a little bitter. "I guess not, but I would like your opinion. Do you like the name?"

He looked away, not really interested. "Better than Junior."

"Then it's settled." The businessman took another bite of his food, finishing his meal. "You'll be called Lionel. I'll have the paperwork started tomorrow. By the time we've figured out how to fix your problem, no one will be able to question your existence."

That made the clone stop. "Why would anyone question anything?"

"Who wouldn't question a mysterious new heir to the Luthor name appearing?"

"What?"

Lex was highly amused now, almost with fondness. "Do you think I'd work so hard to get you back and not name you my heir? You are my son after all. You should take your place at my side, and all the world will know it."

Conner just gaped at him, unable to grasp the concept entirely. It sounded a little familiar but still... Luthor really was trying to help him, and all so he could have a son and heir of his own. He wasn't just property it seemed. The man actually cared.

Quickly he thrust the thought out of his mind, looking away. This... this wasn't what he wanted. He wanted to go home. He wanted to be with his friends. To talk to Clark and move in with Ma and Pa Kent. He wanted to be called Conner... He wanted his freedom.

But he also wanted to live.

"What if..." It came as a small whisper the first time around, so he tried again. "What if I don't want to be your heir?"

A flash of disappointment and anger crossed the man's face. He picked up his glass to drink to compose himself and answer. "Your mind will change in time. It already has a little."

"What?"

"We're having a civil conversation." A smirk crossed his face once more as he sipped his glass. "Superman is always controlling his temper around me these days, not even trying to see my side or attempting to see my motives. Though blows are rare, he always looks ready to hit me at a moment's notice.

"You on the other hand, are listening and considering things. Violence is not an issue between us anymore." Lex cocked his head to the side knowingly. "You know I'm not an evil man. My... methods... can be extreme, but I always have a plan that will have positive outcomes. Your existence and continued survival being only two of them. I have many more plans in place that will save humanity in the future, make it better. Whether I'm permitted to carry them out is another matter."

"What kind of plans?" Curiosity perked a little, Connor tried to switch gears. He didn't want to confirm anything the man said, but to go opposite of it meant doing something which would turn the bracelets on. He didn't want that.

His genetic donor gave him a knowing look before setting his glass aside. "Ah Lionel, you know very well I cannot divulge them to you. At least not yet. There will come a time when I will trust you with my secrets, but not right now. First we handle your problems, then we take on the world."

The teen's lips tightened at the sound of his new name. Not only was it being enforced immediately, but Lex had neatly walked around the question and pulled him back to the one dilemma hanging over their heads: his life.

Letting go of his fork, Conner leaned back in his chair and folded his arms, glaring slightly at the man across from him. Did he want to talk about that now? Not really. He didn't want to think about it anymore, at least for the night. "Fine. I'm tired. May I be excused?"

Another spark of disappointment on the man's face, but he nodded all the same. Using manners usually gained points with the man, and he couldn't object if the lad was being polite. "Yes you may."

"Thank you." Slowly as not to appear in a rush (manners required so much patience!), Conner got to his feet, tucked the chair back under the table, and headed towards his bedroom. There was a book in there he could read until he fell asleep and that TV was also on the static channel. That'd be enough to drown out his thoughts and Luthor's voice.

"Good night Lionel."

Conner jerked to a stop just short of his hallway, knowing he'd have to respond. He didn't like the name, but he'd have to respond to it. Carefully, he looked back over his shoulder and murmured the reply the man wanted. "Good night."

He could hear the despairing sigh as he nearly bolted out of that room, away from that man. If he talked to him for too long, he could start sympathizing with him. He nearly had. Closing his eyes as he pressed his back against his door, the teen silently reminded himself who he was dealing with.

This wasn't a good man. He thought of Superboy as property, nothing more. He'd stop at nothing to get what he wanted. He'd kill Superman. He really didn't care squat about him beyond being an experiment. That's all he was to him.

He was not Lex Luthor's son. He wasn't. He wasn't!

* * *

A/N: Uh oh. What's going on with Supey? He's losing it... XD We really need a psychological category because the brain games are going well. My parents wouldn't let us leave the table unless we said exactly what Conner did and some old manners like 'never eating as if you're hungry' are old traditions I've heard from others. thought it'd be fun if Lex made those rules standard for him. And Conner's got a new name! This may be a mental problem later. So much fun. Plus an excuse for why he watches the static channel. It makes sense doesn't it?

Oh, someone asked why they didn't just clone Conner's organs and do transplants. I never touch on that in the story and I can't find a place to put it in either, but there's a good explanation why that just won't work. In the Batman Beyond episode Meltdown (S1E5) they cloned Freeze's body from his flawed DNA and gave him a new one so he could live (why, see ep). At first everything was fine and he was a normal person again. Unfortunately because his previous body was genetically flawed, the same problem he had before returned, and much faster than the first time around. Since Conner's the only Kryptonian/Human hybrid out there, the only organs they could clone are his. Anything else would be rejected. Since they already flawed those, the cloned organs would have the same problem. Since they're copies of a copy, they're poorer quality and will deteriorate just as quickly, if not faster. Roughly, if Conner tried a series of transplants in order to survive, he'd be in and out of surgery so much there wouldn't be a point to living. In the end it's not practical or cost effective. That's why they can't make him any new organs. Make sense? Hope so, cuz that's all I got.

Back to the bats for a couple days. Things are coming to a head!


	20. He's Dead Jim

I'm pretty sure you guys know what I watch by now, but this title is from something I grew up on. Anywho, as one story ends, another unfolds. No this isn't the end (10 more chapters peoples!), but one part is completely over with this bit. Read and take a gander as to what is over and done now. A little foreshadowing but that's all. enjoy! Especially the dramatic change in the middle there. *evil laugh*

* * *

**20 - He's Dead Jim**

Dick was honestly starting to like the look of Bludhaven. There was crime of course, and it had a similar feel to Gotham, but it was also different. It was a bit newer, without the ancient legends of his home town, but still rustic enough to make it homey. Maybe when he was allowed to live on his own, he'd move there and strike out as an independent hero. Not too far away from Gotham or Metropolis, so he could always call in backup, but far enough away to call it his own.

That was if he made it to adulthood. At the rate things were going, he wasn't sure if he'd ever make it. Sighing to himself and Wally walking next to him, he tried to figure out his next move in general. Over two weeks ago Conner vanished, nearly three. Still no sign of him. M'gann was going frantic now, trying to rope her uncle into doing a worldwide mind scan just to get a clue where he was. That of course was out of the question; the repercussions would cripple both of them, maybe cause permanent brain damage or insanity. As close as she and the others were getting to the funny farm, no one wanted to go there just yet.

He and Wally were walking around Bludhaven to clear their minds and try to think of another avenue to search for Conner. As this was the place the exchange and his holding cell was, it was as good a place as any. Besides, there was something else Dick wanted to do. Wally stuck with him to make certain he didn't do anything extreme. Bats in general tended to go overboard.

"Look Dick," the speedster tired again, tired of walking around the city aimlessly with the boy wonder, "we really should head back to the cave and see if anyone else has come up with something. Hanging around this place is kinda depressing. Especially after that blown up chapel."

"Just one last place and we can go." The acrobat's voice cracked for a second, earning a snicker from his friend. Dick glared back at him, annoyed to high heaven and back. "It's called puberty. You get over it. Unless you're one of the unlucky ones perpetually stuck in it, like a certain redhead I know."

"You're talking about Roy right?"

"Dude, I think you were just born awkward." Shaking his head, the circus kid checked his phone mapping the way and kept on going. "Come on. It's not far and afterwards we'll visit an all-you-can- eat. My treat."

"Sweet, but... Where are we going?!" Wally threw his hands into the air dramatically, aggravated he didn't know what was going on. Bats were the masters at keeping secrets, usually. Mostly though, they just forgot to tell people their master plans. Seriously, they almost seemed to believe others could read their minds or figure things out for themselves.

Slightly abashed, Dick looked away. "Um... it's kinda personal."

"Personal how?" The older boy's eyes narrowed suspiciously, but he wasn't about to jump the gun.

Fidgeting, the younger one murmured something that weighed down on him. "Conner wasn't the only one lost that night."

Still perplexed, Wally tried to get more out of him only to get neatly sidestepped by the teen bringing up the weather. Why was it always the weather? It was sunny, hot, humid, and really needed a breeze. As pretty as Bludhaven was, it kinda reeked in the summer. Thankfully a park came into view and the boy was headed for it. Green grass, trees, and a breeze! Next to indoors with AC, a pool, or the beach, a park like this was the perfect place to spend summer days!

"Cool! But..." The ginger eyed his friend as they went inside and headed a particular direction. "Why come here? There are parks all over Central and Keystone if you didn't want to be in Gotham. And the ones in Happy Harbor are pretty cool."

"You didn't pay much attention to that Father did you?" Wally watched his friend for a minute before thinking back to their earlier location. For some reason, they visited the chapel that was bombed a few weeks back and talked to the minister there. Well, Dick talked to the guy. Wally was looking over the place with some historical fascination. The architects were pretty talented when they made the place. He wasn't really religious, but he did admire their artwork.

"Nooot... really..."

Dick shook his head, sighing slightly. "That bombing there? It was the same night of the exchange. The so called bomber was my... jailer? Guard? Warden?" He tried to find the right word for a minute, then gave up. "His name was Steve Hawes. He left behind his wife Sarah and their two kids. Good guy really, just a loose end Luthor had to tie off. We ate the same food while I was incarcerated."

They made it over to one part of the park near a fountain where two little boys were playing soccer (poorly) while their pregnant mother sat off to the side, watching them solemnly. Each of them wore a black armband, but their mother was cradling something in her hands, straining to keep a smile on her face as she watched her boys. It was both sad to see and adorable to watch.

The two heroes watched from a distance, silent sentinels watching over them. After a minute, Dick reminded his friend of the rest. "The only reason Steve died was to prove I had bombs in my body. He was going to church to confess... Probably to the League next... He was a good man. His family shouldn't have to suffer like this."

Quietly, Wally murmured a painful question about the kids. "Will they even remember their dad? They can't be in school yet."

"I don't know." His friend rubbed his eyes, deeply troubled by the many victims he couldn't help. These three, four when the baby came, were just many of the ones whose lives were torn apart because of Luthor's ego. "I don't even know if it's a good thing they won't or not. Not a lot I can know about this."

They watched from their post on the hill for a long while, admiring the view and trying to figure out what to do next. "So... you gonna talk to them?"

"Strange teenage boy comes up out of the blue to talk to two kids about their blown up dad who's been painted a terrorist by the media." Dick gave him a you're-an-idiot glare. "How do you think mommy will react? I'd be lucky to keep my limbs."

"Point... but you came all this way and-"

"It'd be better if Robin apologized," he admitted, glaring at the ground. "It'd explain things better, but might make her upset. If Conner was there too, we could probably..." A second of silence, then, "I don't know what to do okay? Bruce promised he'd help her survive with her kids, so I'll trust him to that. But there's nothing more I can do."

"Then... Why are we here?" Wally's question went deep into the lad's heart, making it ache a bit. "If you won't do anything, why come all this way?"

"I don't know." He watched the kids playing below, saddened greatly. They'd never get to play with their dad again. They wouldn't know their father. He knew what it was like to be fatherless, to miss the man you respected and admired most. He wasn't sure if they would like not knowing who their dad was, especially if the man was still labeled as a terrorist. He didn't even want to think about what Mrs. Hawes was going through at that moment. He hadn't a clue how bad things were for her but knew it had to be horrible. They had to clear Steve's name at the very least. "I just... I had to see them. Make sure they were alright."

His friend shrugged, scratching the back of his head in thought for a minute. "You know, two guys watching kids on an open hill like this is kinda creepy. How about sitting in the shade and just talking nearby? That tree looks pretty good and it's not near as creepy."

He pointed to a willow not too far off, one with low branches and plenty of shade. Dick shrugged. "Kay."

"Should have brought a picnic," the speedster murmured as they walked over. "I'm starved."

That got a chuckle out of his friend. "Half an hour, then we'll get lunch. I promise."

* * *

Lex turned on the news during his lunch visit with Conner, turning up the volume when an interesting new report came in. CNN's story did little to perk the clone's interest as he ate, but it did put a slight smirk on his donor's face. "Well well well... Look at that."

"_It has been confirmed,_" a lady in red stated, standing before a hospital, "_Bruce Wayne, CEO of Wayne Enterprises, collapsed during a board meeting this afternoon and has yet to wake up. I am standing before North Gotham General Hospital where the billionaire was rushed to mere minutes ago. The reason behind the sudden collapse is currently a mystery, and there appears to be no evidence of foul play. EMTs say his condition is stable and initial assessments say his collapse may be due to low blood sugar or exhaustion. Details will be shared as soon as any theory is confirmed. This is Summer Gleeson from Gotham City._"

"That's what he gets for partying all summer," Luthor stated smugly. "You pass out in the middle of something important. Playboy deserved it."

Conner ignored the comments, barely catching the name. Bruce Wayne... Wasn't he someone important?

* * *

Dick's jaw dropped, letting food slip out of his mouth and back onto his plate, when he read the report at the bottom of the screen at the Chinese buffet place they were at. Bruce... Collapsed... Hospital...

"Dude!" Wally's voice didn't penetrate his consciousness. All the lad saw was the words on the mute screen. "That's disgusting."

"Bruce..."

"What?" Quickly, the older boy jerked his head around and saw the news cast on the screen. All the color drained from his face from what he read, forcing him to look back at his friend a second later. His face had turned deathly white and he was starting to shake. His usually sparkling blue eyes were horrified, just gaping at the monitor. And... was he shaking? "Dick?"

Without warning, the acrobat jolted to his feet and bolted out the door, only one thought on his mind. He had to get back to Gotham. He had to know what happened to Bruce! Quickly he whipped out his phone and speed dialed Alfred. The old man wasn't picking up for some reason. "Come on... Come on!"

"Whoa! Hold up a sec!" Wally finally caught up with him. Of course he did, fastest boy alive and all... "Where do you think you're-"

Dick grabbed him desperately by his shirt, begging him for help. "Wally! Please! You have to get me back to Gotham! Bruce is-"

"I know. Calm down." He looked him in the eye and held the boy's shoulders in an attempt to calm him. The kid was in the midst of a panic attack. "I'll get you to him. Just... tell me how to get to that hospital. Didn't catch a name."

A smile poked out of the corners of his mouth as he let go of his friend. "Not entirely sure but it looked like North Gotham General. Just head to the manor from here and I'll point out the turns."

"Righto!" The two of them ducked into an alleyway before Dick leapt onto his back. Holding on tight, Wally gave his friend a very high velocity piggyback ride back to his city. They took a lot of twists and turns, nearly giving him vertigo, but concentrating on the task at hand kept it at bay. It only took ten minutes to get to the north end of Gotham, but it felt like an eternity to the boy wonder. When they got to a particular crossroad, he tapped the speedster's left shoulder for him to turn. A few more lefts and rights later, he pulled back, reigning him in. They pulled into a nearby alley to separate.

"It's just a block from here," Dick told him, now having a little control of himself. He climbed off of Wally's back, teetering for a moment as he got used to ground beneath his feet once more. "I sure hope I got the right hospital."

"I'll hang out here if you're not sure." Wally watched his friend with some trepidation. A couple weeks ago he swore he wouldn't come back to Gotham until Conner was back. But one word of Bruce Wayne in the hospital and he was back in a heartbeat. Even if they were technically fighting, Dick always had his back.

The teen handed him a wad of cash. "Get something to eat. I'll call later and let you know." He gave him a weak smile. "Thanks Wals. For everything."

Dick didn't give him any chance to respond. He just took off as fast as his own feet could carry him.

* * *

A/N: Guess who worked himself ragged? More intel to come tomorrow on Bruce's condition. I think the fight is over. Plus we got the last of Steve Hawes' story. there's plenty going on behind the scenes that won't be shown or talked about because that would make this drag on forever and it's not that important. Someone offered to write more about him once. If anyone wants to, just run it by me and we're good.

Hope you're having fun! Ten chapters left until this one's done and I vanish from sight again. =P


	21. I'm Not Dead Yet, I'm Getting Better

Another well known quote, one we used to answer the previous one. Sadly I only watched this one once, and I was wondering how it could be so quotable when the actual thing wasn't that great. Always quote the movie out of context and it's hysterical. Anywho, enjoy the bonding and Alfred. Mostly enjoy Alfred for he is awesome.

* * *

**21 - I'm Not Dead Yet, I'm Getting Better**

It looked like Bruce couldn't decide whether or not to wake up for a while. His eyelids would flicker open then shut every few minutes. Sometimes he'd open his eyes completely at a loud noise, then his eyes would roll back and he's pass out again. Once in a while he'd mumble something, but none of it made sense to the staff, only to his allies.

Dick sat anxiously at his bedside, reading and rereading the medical report Leslie came up with to keep his hands busy. Apparently he collapsed because of exhaustion. She also reported he lost some weight since his last physical and the hormones associated with stress were elevated. When he moaned out something, it sounded a lot like 'Conner'. 'Luthor', and 'Dick'. 'Sorry' slipped through once in a while, along with the usual nightmare related names. His parents.

'_Great. Now he's associating this with his parents' murders._' The teen shook his head guiltily, remembering what Alfred told him when they finally met up in the hospital room. Bruce barely ate or slept since his kidnapping three weeks ago. He'd been working on the case at every spare moment. 'Brucie' hadn't been out the entire time either, making explaining this to the public incredibly difficult. How could anyone tell them he collapsed from exhaustion, when it looked like he hadn't done anything?

Sighing heavily, Dick put the file away and watched his adoptive father breathe. He hadn't woken up even briefly for the past hour, seemingly getting more rest, and it worried him a bit. At least when he was waking up every few minutes he knew he was still alive. Was it possible to work yourself to death? Because if it was, Bruce would definitely die that way.

A withered hand landed on the boy's shoulder, startling him for a moment. He stopped himself short of a violent reaction when he saw a familiar face. "Alfred."

"Sorry for disturbing you Master Richard," the butler murmured in a low tone, "but you really do need to eat something and get some rest. It will do no one any favors if you also faint from exhaustion."

"I don't want to leave-"

"I already arranged it with the staff. This is a private room after all." He smiled warmly, motioning to a tray of food not too far off. There was even tea ready for them. "There are some benefits to being the primary donor to a hospital. Come. Have dinner. Then you can lay down until he wakes up."

Dick watched the man for a moment before taking his chair over to the small table set up for them. Guiltily he took a roll and started putting butter on it. "There's only one bed Alfred. I don't think he'd like waking up with me next to him right now. Besides... I'm fourteen. Bit old to be doing that."

"Young sir, I dare say there is no one at the moment he rather see first after waking." Alfred brought another seat up and likewise started serving himself. "He's been rather worried about you these past few weeks."

"I know..." The boy's head drooped a little as he answered. "I'm sorry."

"Are you?" The accusation made him look up at the man. He raised an eyebrow to extenuate the inquiry. "I stayed out of it before, but there is one thing you must understand Master Richard. Master Bruce's first priority for the past five years has been you. He would trade all of Wayne Enterprises to assure your safe return... but he would not blindly trade a friend for anyone.

"I remember overhearing young Mr. Kent and he when they discussed your dilemma at the beginning," he continued, surprising the lad. "Master Bruce was not happy with the young man's decision, but he supported him anyway. Like a certain other young man I know. He taught him as much as he could so he could make an escape in the matter of a few hours. I believe you recall how he teaches those lessons."

Slowly the teen nodded, recalling his escape training rather well. Alfred went on, describing what else he could. "They looked over the area, studied escape routes, and took every precaution they could before going onto that rooftop. The original plan was merely a rescue, to grab you and run. They made plans in case the exchange had to happen for your safe return, so Mr. Kent could rejoin you later, but prayed it would not be necessary. Had Luthor not been ten steps ahead of them, I assure you, this crisis would have ended that night. Do not blame Master Bruce for wishing for your safety above all else, nor blame Mr. Kent for insisting to help. They were only following their hearts."

"I know Alfred," Dick murmured, feeling worse by the minute. He did know. He knew exactly how those two thought and how they'd do whatever it took to get the job done. That's what made it so frustrating for him. "I know why they did that."

"Then why pray tell did you say what you had and run off?"

"Because it's all my fault." His chin nearly hit his chest, forcing his body to curl inward. "If I hadn't been such an easy target-"

"You are not an easy target Master Richard," Alfred insisted. "Merely an obvious one. I do not doubt they went through a lot of trouble to catch you."

"It's because I went off on my own and gave them an opportunity to-"

"If one did not present itself sooner, I believe it would have occurred later. Mr. Luthor was rather determined to retrieve Mr. Kent it appears."

"It's my fault Alfred!" He jerked his head up to glare frustration and guilt at the old man. "All of this happened because of me!"

"This all happened, because of Mr. Luthor. And do not forget that." The butler's stern glare put him back a step. Alfred always had a way to make them rethink what they were doing. "Despite everything that has occurred and who it has involved, this started because he wanted something and would do whatever it took to get it. That man has no boundaries. He would use his own mother if he thought it would achieve his goals.

"Master Richard," he persisted, landing a hand on the lad's shoulder, "this was not your fault. Everyone made their choices and you happened to be in the middle of it all. Young Mr. Kent chose to give himself up, even knowing what could happen. Not even Master Bruce's exhaustion is because of you. You know as well as I do how he deals with his conflicting emotions; he throws himself into his work and ignores his personal needs. Had he more sense, he would have taken naps to clear his mind instead of patrolling. None of this is because of you.

"So do us all a favor and stop blaming yourself. Master Bruce will likely fly out of that bed as soon as he is able, and start this all over again, if you do not hold him in check." He gave the boy a bitter smile. "Though I appreciate you keeping in contact with me these past two weeks, it is he who needs reassurance more. You know he did everything he could. We all did. And I know you no longer blame him for withholding information, now you've had time to think about it. This has been a difficult case for everybody.

"So could you make it easier on everyone by telling Master Bruce himself how you feel?" Dick watched the old man guiltily for a moment, not sure how to respond. He said so much... "Arguments like these can be easily resolved if one just apologizes in earnest. And the two of you do not need many words to do so."

Looking over the man before him one more time, a gracious smile grew on the boy's face. His worries ebbed away slowly as he thought Alfred's words over. It really wouldn't take much to fix things between them, especially since Bruce already apologized in his own way. He gave him space and explained himself before Dick ran off. He didn't stop him from taking his friends and searching on their own. And he didn't block him from any of the information he got about Connor's whereabouts (which was more of a list of where he wasn't). Bruce did his share; now it was Dick's turn.

"Kay. I'll talk to him as soon as he's awake." The teen found it a little easier to swallow his food now. Looking at the old man, he knew he couldn't count how much he mattered to them. "Thanks Alfred. For everything"

"My pleasure Master Richard."

* * *

Honestly the first thing he noticed, really noticed, was the extra weight leaning against his side. He almost wanted to turn towards it and the subtle warmth it gave off, but other restrictions prevented him. One was the blanket firmly holding him in place, and the other was the tugging at his hand from an IV. His body was so heavy and sluggish from being unconscious for so long, he knew he'd be sore and ache if he moved too quickly. And one thing his body did not want to do was open his eyes.

Still, what was this weight by his side? Why was he restrained like this? And why was his bed so stiff and narrow? It was Bruce Wayne's boundless curiosity that pulled his eyes open, looking straight to the source of the weight next to him.

What he saw was a black haired blur. It seemed familiar... It took a few more blinks before he could identify what was there, and who in particular. Dick was cuddled up beside him, using his chest as a pillow and a second blanket covering him a bit. He was on top of the blanket covering the man, instead of under it with him like usual. The teen was fast asleep, just like all those other times he found the boy in his bed.

For a brief moment, surprise overtook Bruce. Dick was there, sleeping contently next to him. He hadn't seen the lad physically in weeks. They hadn't spoken since that argument through the boy's door. Last he knew, the teen was still mad at him for hiding what happened during the exchange.

And yet he was right there with him now. When did he come back? Why did he come back? What happened to drive him home?

'_Wait... Where are we?_'

The man's memories finally caught up with him as he realized he was not in his bedroom but a private hospital room. Must have passed out as Bruce Wayne in a public place. Wasn't there a business meeting he was attending earlier? He couldn't recall leaving it. '_Something must have happened to make me lose part of my memory. Injuries? No obvious ones. I don't feel any pain, and there aren't any lingering effects of painkillers. Did... I pass out?_'

Vaguely he remembered the dizziness and exhaustion, then... nothing. Quickly the detective put two and two together, realizing he'd worked himself to exhaustion and this was the end result: a visit to the hospital. He'd have to read over his medical file to know for certain that was all, but he knew if he lost consciousness in a public setting, it would be televised. Either Alfred, Lucius, or Leslie would call Dick, or he'd hear it on TV and fly back to Gotham to make certain he was alright. No matter how he heard, the boy would return if he thought Bruce was hurt in any sort of way.

'_Oh Dick,_' he thought fondly as he looked down to his son with a smile, '_sometimes you are too predictable._'

"It took quite a bit of prodding to get him to rest." Alfred's barely audible voice caught his employer's attention without startling anyone. Bruce knew the man would be there with them, especially under these circumstances. Slowly he turned his head to look at the butler, giving him his undivided attention. "He refused to leave your side, even for food. If other necessities weren't so close, I doubt he'd use them either. He fell asleep only an hour ago, with some encouragement.

"I believe he wanted to say something to you before passing out." A shadow of a smirk appeared on his face. "Something I am not sure needs saying at this point."

"Maybe not," came Bruce's low cracked voice. He swallowed a few times to moisten his throat, turning his eyes back to the boy, before speaking again. "But sometimes we need to hear ourselves say things. Thank you for calling him home."

"I did nothing of the sort." Amusement played on the old man's face as he told him the answer to his earlier questions. "He saw it on television. I was on the road here when he called the manor and I refuse to answer any phone while driving, let alone the house line.

"Now, have you learned your lesson Master Bruce?" His employer glanced over to him, knowing that teaching tone in his voice all too well. The pointed look on Alfred's face only made the man give a half shrug, trying not to startle the boy awake.

"Possibly, but I'm sure to forget it." The CEO ignored his ally's unamused glare and wrapped his arms around his son best he could without waking him or tugging on the IV. He may not have brought this boy home through his own power, but at least one of the missing was home again. May as well cherish this moment for as long as possible.

"Indeed you may sir."

* * *

A/N: Yeah, not a lot of cuddling, but still sweet. So Dick's no longer being a stupid angsty teen and came home because Bruce needs him. You won't be seeing them hash it out, but do you really need to? Alfred is so awesome here.

So anyone take a guess as to how they'll find him yet? Tomorrow starts them on that track. and I am still super predictable, especially with this wildcard. Enjoy!


	22. Expect the Unexpected

Back to Conner. But first a little resolution and plotting.

* * *

**22 - Expect the Unexpected**

"You're going home?" Zatanna tried her hardest to not show her disappointment, but only because Wally warned them about this first. He had a hunch this would be happening. What he told them almost mirrored what Robin was telling them now.

Their boy wonder looked away awkwardly, shrugging a little. "Yeah... Batman pushed himself too hard looking for Connor and someone needs to keep him in check."

"Pushed himself too hard?" Kaldur asked, concern growing on his face. He had heard rumors of this.

"He exhausted himself stupid," Robin explained, trying to make sense of it to the others. "Hasn't slept much, eaten much, taken care of himself really. He passed out in public and landed himself in the hospital. He's being released today so long as he promises to take it easy for the next week or so to recover. But knowing him..." A sardonic smile crossed his face, shrugging again. "If I don't sit on him, quite literally, he'll be swinging from rooftops and taking out drug lords tonight. Then he'll land himself in the hospital, again."

"So you're not going to be looking for Connor anymore?" Some bite was in M'gann's voice, making everyone look at her glowering on the couch.

"It's not that," the bird tried to explain. "We're all still looking, but I have to stop Batman from killing himself in the process. Like all of you did for me." They exchanged looks, but only their speedster and archer knew what he was talking about. "If you guys hadn't made me take breaks or rest, I'd probably be in the hospital too. Er... me and Bats... we both get obsessive about a case and... forget to take care of ourselves. Difference is, I was with you guys while he was on his own. You stopped me from being like him.

"So..." He looked to their leader, hoping he'd take command. "I'm just going home for a few days until he's off bed rest. I'll compare notes between what he has and what we've got, and see if we can come up with some new leads. I'll send you what I get. Okay?"

Kaldur nodded in satisfaction while M'gann pouted, head drooping in worry and sadness. They knew she was upset about all of this, and helped her stay on her feet the past few weeks. And with every dead end they ran into, her spirits dropped and her temper flared. Who knew she had such a bad temper?

"In the meantime," their leader continued, "we continue the search as we have. With the added help of Batman's skills, we are far more likely to find him."

"And if we can get Superman to stop being solo," Robin commented to himself, "then we'll probably find him in a week."

"You really think Superman can help?" They hadn't heard or seen a thing about the man of steel in weeks. He'd been busy with robots, aliens, and a crime wave in Metropolis, and sometimes it looked like he was looking for trouble. Was that him investigating?

Their boy wonder smirked knowingly. "He's not just good for bashing heads you know. He's just been stubborn lately for the same reasons we've been. Think you can work that angle?"

"Possibly..." An idea was forming in their Atlantian's brain, casting a look to M'gann.

"Good. I gotta go." Hefting the bag he brought with him to the mountain, Robin headed to the zeta tube. "See ya in a few days. Probably with Bats."

"Later dude," Wally waved him off, smirking to himself. Artemis gave him a playful slap before heading to the kitchen. "What was that for?!"

"Being a cheeky know it all. Hungry?"

"You know I am." He zipped over to his girlfriend while the others contemplated a plan to get as many leads as possible. He had an idea what they were planning, so he didn't stress over it. His primary concern for the past few weeks was headed out of the mountain. The next biggest one was going to be handled soon enough. They just had to figure out how.

_Recognized - Robin B01_

* * *

Connor sighed to himself, laying back down on the couch, bored out of his mind. He couldn't stand looking at numbers and charts anymore, he just couldn't. His mortality was assured and he was done thinking about it. Wasn't this one of the stages of grief he heard about from Canary? Acceptance? Yeah, he was accepting this new life of his. It'd be a long time before Batman or the League or the team found him. They hadn't yet so he may as well just settle in.

Settle in and be bored out of his mind.

No one was babysitting him that day. Metallo was off taking care of some mission or another, and Mercy was with Lex for some important meeting. Since he wasn't trying to escape anymore, they said it was okay for him to just be there alone. How long had he been in this place anyway? Three weeks? Who knew it'd only take that long for him to lose hope. Still hated it, but what could he do? Nothing, except nap, read, and play video games.

Rao he was bored. There was literally nothing to do that he wanted to do. No one to talk to, nowhere to go, no way out of there, and no chance of changing that. His apartment didn't have a gym, not even a punching bag to vent his anger on. There was nothing he could do there without turning into a wimpy geek! Was that the next step to being Lex's heir? Lose his muscles and turn into an introverted, game obsessed wacko?

Wow... he really was going crazy. '_Arkham here I come._'

A door opened and closed, telling him someone had returned. Sighing to himself, and still bored out of his mind, Connor pulled himself upright to see who it was. Only one of three options really: Lex, Mercy, or Metallo. All the scientists and doctors belonged in another part of the building and he only had access to it when Lex allowed it. They never wandered into his apartment. '_I'm betting Metallo. Done terrorizing people early._'

Looking to the hallway leading out, he waited for the jerkwad's metal head to pop around the corner. But instead of a six foot tin can, a small boy under four feet sporting neatly cut black hair and curious dark blue eyes wearing a simple brown suit, wandered into view looking a little lost. Actually, he had to be completely lost, and a little scared. Spotting Conner, a little relief came to his face. "Hello. Where's the bathroom?"

"Bathroom?" The clone's disbelieving jaw dropped near to the floor as he gaped at this kid, stomach plummeting into his shoes. Who was this kid? How did he get in there? Why was he looking for the bathroom there?

"I really need to go." He bit his bottom lip in anxiety, shifting uncomfortably.

"Ah..." Leaping to his feet, Conner hurried to the kid and took his hand. "This way."

With their hurried pace, they managed to get to the small hallway bathroom without any accidents. The teen waited outside the bathroom door, looking to the sides uncomfortably. Were there any more cameras in there? He'd found one or two before and destroyed them, but this was Luthor's facility. He'd have cameras everywhere. Would this kid get in trouble getting lost on the way to the bathroom? '_Have get this kid out of here._'

"I'm done!" The little boy smiled merrily as he came back out of the bathroom, drying his hands one last time. "Thank you for your help."

"Not a problem. Uh... how'd you get in here?" He took the boy's hand again, directing him back the way he came, towards the door he couldn't leave through.

The boy shrugged. "Through the door."

"But... how?" He looked to the kryptonite doorway in utter confusion. It was electrified right? There was no way he or any unauthorized personnel could get through... right? And what about security guards?

His answer was a pair of owlish eyes blinking at him as if he was stupid. "I just pushed it."

"Didn't it hurt?" A headshake. "It was that easy?" A nod. The idea took root in his mind. "So anyone can get in..."

"You don't like visitors mister?" He cocked his head to the side, both curious and sad. "Am I disturbing you?"

"No... more like turbing..." Connor tried in order to calm the kid. It did the trick. The boy giggled at the wordplay, covering his mouth to be polite. Who knew one of Robin's jokes would work so well on a random kid? "Um... Think you can make it back to your parents on your own? I... can't really leave here."

He nodded, smiling a bit. "I have a good memory. I can find my way back."

"Good. Ah... do me a favor?" The teen gave him an awkward, begging smile, pleading he would do as he was asked. "Don't tell anyone here we met. You'll get in trouble with them if you do."

"Can I tell my mommy and daddy?" They were nearly to the door and Conner could feel the kryptonite burning him. Damn rocks!

"When you get home. Deal?" He let go of the boy's hand to shake the other one. The kiddo eagerly took it and shook it firmly, if a bit wild. The very image of a young businessman. Hopefully he'd grow up to be a good one.

"Deal. Thank you mister." Cute as a button, the boy went back to the door he first came through and started tugging on the door. Immediately the kid pulled back. "OW! It bit me!"

_'Crap_.' Already feeling ill, Conner steeled himself and stepped forward. This was going to hurt, a lot, but it'd be worth it if the kid made it out alive. "It does that. I'm going to pull open one side and I need you to run through as fast as possible. Don't look back, don't stop moving. Got that?"

The kid nodded, stepping very close to the door to make the journey as quick as possible. The way he trusted Conner without question made his internal worry double. He did not want to fail this kid. It was kind of weird how he took all of this so calmly, but this time around it was a blessing. "On the count of three. One, two, three!"

As fast as he could, the clone grabbed the kryptonite handle and pulled the door back. It opened about foot, just enough room for the boy to pass through, and plenty enough motivation for it to throw thousand volts of electricity through him. He held on for as long as he could, ears ringing and blinded from the pain of the radiation and the voltage, all while praying it would be long enough for the kid to leave. When he couldn't stand it anymore, he let go and jolted as far from the exit as fast as possible. He couldn't even hear it slam shut.

Everything hurt, blinding him and making his ears ring like crazy. His insides and outsides felt like were on fire, tearing away his flesh and liquefying his organs. This was worse than when he ran desperately away from Lex's office, ten times worse. He wanted to pass out, to be lost to the pain and wait for someone to put him in bed again, but he knew better.

Cringing and gasping at each movement, Conner pushed himself up and turned to crawl away from the door. The majority of the pain left as he got further away, making it easier to make it to the couch and lay down. It was a struggle the entire way, but he made it, barely. The effects of the electrocution would linger for a while more, but the pain of the kryptonite was already leaving. He just needed to rest a minute. Just a minute...

Twenty minutes later, the teen pulled himself back from unconsciousness. "Ow... That... was a bad idea."

"Yes it was."

Conner jerked his head around, nearly wrenching his neck to see Luthor glaring disapproval in a nearby seat. Someone had wrapped up his burnt hand (something he was unable to feel until then) and a cool compress was laying on the back of his neck. How long had Lex been there? Was there an alarm on the door? '_Is the kid alright?_'

"What were you thinking?" chided the megalomaniac. "I thought you were over trying to leave by now. You haven't tried anything in weeks and now this! Lionel, you know better than to try those doors."

He closed his eyes briefly, wincing as he relaxed. The kid wasn't discovered. He succeeded. The boy was safe from Luthor. "Just want to see what would happen."

"You knew what would happen," Lex reproved him. "You'd be hurt, and lo and behold! You're hurt. Congratulations. Theory proven"

The teen rolled his eyes and grumbled. "I was bored."

"How can you be bored?" the man insisted. "You have everything a teenaged boy wants in this world. How can you be so bored you'd pretty much try to commit suicide tugging on that door?"

"You don't get it!" Conner snapped, pushing himself into an upright position, wincing with every move. "I'm not a normal teenaged boy! I'm used to running around outside! Sparing with my friends! Helping people! Going from saving the day to sitting around on my butt and watching TV is worse than kryptonite! Doing nothing is killing me! You should be glad I'm not slashing my wrists!"

He could feel the temperature drop in the room, but it didn't matter. Depression, acceptance, he'd been through it all. The never ending boredom in this place was really getting to him, and as much as he liked books, he couldn't read forever. He needed to run around somewhere, anywhere! Nice as this apartment was, and all the things inside, it wasn't him. If he were any other teenager, filled with angst and depression, he'd be cutting himself just to do something. Thank heavens he wasn't normal.

Besides, he needed a smokescreen that'd keep the kid from being discovered. Why not something like this? He was telling the truth after all.

"I see..." Lex's voice dropped an octave as Conner forced himself to put his feet on the floor again. The man watched him like a hawk, analyzing his every movement. It would be disturbing if he wasn't already used to it. "So what would it take to keep you entertained? What do you want me to do about it?"

"I don't know." Carefully, the clone pushed himself off the couch and started walking to the window. He liked to look out of it, even if no one would see him there. Thankfully it faced the parking lot... and he could see the little boy being carried by his father towards a nearby car.

His mother led the way, keys out and looking a little cross. They weren't happy about their son leaving their sight like he had. The child though seemed to be soaking in every lecture, looking over his dad's shoulder toward the building. For a brief moment their eyes met, his and Conner's, and he smiled, waving a bit. Lucky kid. Very lucky kid. He managed to escape.

"Is there anything you can think of?" Luthor offered again behind him. "Very little is beyond my grasp."

Conner thought about it for a minute, watching the family leave in their nice car. At least they were safe. A thought came to him, an answer which he growled to the man. "Find a way for me to run around under the sun again. I miss it."

He heard the man sigh, the weight of the world in his breath. "We're working on that. You just have to be patient."

"Whatever." Yeah, whatever. So long as that kid was safely away from Lex Luthor and his flunkies, with no consequences for his accidental meeting, anything could happen. Silently he prayed the boy would be okay in the future and his maker wouldn't touch him, ever. Too bad he never got the kid's name.

* * *

A/N: 20 points if you can guess who that kid is! XD Yeah, a series of lucky encounters will save the day. Sorry for the cutting and suicide references. I did say there would be touchy themes going on in here. But considering Conner's been isolated and informed he was going to die, it's quite likely he'd fall into a deep depression. He's currently going through the stages of grief, and by the end of this he'll have a more philosophical view of life, like he seems to have in YJ:I. This event may be just a blip in his life, but it changes him a lot more than he first thought it would be. It doesn't really change anyone else though. Fun times.


	23. Always Admit When You're Wrong

Only two people got the name of the kid wrong. Very good peoples! Give yourselves a pat on the back! XD So anywho, now that that's underway, time to put superman in his place. Enjoy!

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**23 - Always Admit When You're Wrong**

Superman soared over Metropolis for probably the millionth time since he first moved to that city. The hundredth since Superboy's capture. Somehow the city looked almost like Gotham the past hundred times. And yet Conner had rarely been there the past year. Who knew the loss of one person could change his perspective so much?

The man of steel shook his head to clear it, settling over the second tallest building in the city. Why weren't his leads panning out? He'd been shaking down as many of Luthor's men as he could find, and they knew nothing. He'd spied on all of the man's known haunts, and the millionaire seemed to have dropped off the map. Not even the high level thugs he could hire or any of Clark's snitches knew what was going on. Lex Luthor was a mystery, and was keeping Conner away from him.

The one thing that he did know was that Luthor hadn't turned over a new leaf. He had Metallo sabotage one of his competitor's military projects the previous week, and Parasite had infiltrated a military base in order to get some rare minerals. Superman fought both of them, but each got away when he tried to interrogate them. Wasn't hard for those two; each had driven him to his knees before and he was rushing into the fights without thinking.

His entire thought process was directed in finding his little brother. By Rao he needed to find him. Who knew what Luthor was doing to him!

"Get a hold of yourself Clark!" he chided himself. Pushing his fears aside, Superman strained his ears to hear something, anything, that could lead him somewhere in the right direction. Heck, anything to distract him from his never ending panic would be nice. Unfortunately for him, the only things he could hear was a normal, peaceful afternoon in Metropolis. There was nothing he could do to keep his hands busy, and nothing to lead him anywhere on his case. Maybe he really did need Batman to find him after all.

Sighing heavily, Superman decided the best thing he could do was return to The Planet and try to find an assignment that might help him find Conner. He was about to touch down on the roof when he saw something green and blue zoom past one of Luthor's towers. Something flying. Trying to focus his vision, the man of steel leapt back into the air and charged towards the unknown object. Maybe it was an invader or a lead.

He followed the object as fast as he could, but blinked once he was able to identify it. "What the..."

The visitor stayed just within range until they were both out of the city and among some trees. At which point it dropped like a rock to the ground and nearby river, and another awaiting visitor. Glaring, the Kryptonian glided down as well, ready to demand answers. "M'gann, Kaldur, what are you two doing here?"

Miss Martian pulled down her hood to look at the leader of the League clearly while Aqualad stepped forward, ready to speak. "Our apologies for our approach, but we could not get your attention any other way. Your com was offline and Superboy never revealed your personal number. We need to talk."

"Did you find a lead on Kon?" Some desperation filled his voice, hope sparking in his eyes. He had nothing, at all. There had to be some clue out there to find him. There had to!

"Not yet," the teen answered. Superman didn't hide his disappointment. It was all he could think about lately. Find his brother, fight bad guys, maybe get some normal work done on the side, that was about all that went through his head. The Atlantian pressed on anyway. "We are actually here because of your behavior."

"My behavior?" What were they talking about?

"You have isolated yourself since discovering Conner's... situation." Kaldur was having trouble defining what happened, just as the rest of them were. If the clone hadn't willingly exchanged himself for Robin's sake, it would be a lot clearer. But it wasn't. "And we have seen on the news how you have been fighting. You are not doing well."

The man glared at the two for a moment, getting a rough idea what they were talking about. He didn't want to hear it, especially from kids. "Go home."

"Not yet." M'gann raised a hand, her eyes glowing as the man of steel stiffened against his will. Telekinetics. She was forcing him to stay put, no matter what. "You are going to listen to us. Now."

"Unhand me!" he snapped back to her, ready to use his heat vision to set the grass around her on fire. He wouldn't hurt her, but it would force her to let go of him. Then he saw the mountain of water ready to douse out any flame, and make only him sopping wet. "M'gann, if you don't-"

"QUIT GRIPING AND LISTEN ALREADY!" The Martian snapping at him pulled him back for a moment, her glare flaring dangerously for a moment. If she was anything like her uncle, she probably had his Martian vision as well, and could easily burn a hole in his cape. Between her and Kaldur, he would have a hard fight indeed. Especially with the glares they were giving him. "You're not the only one who wants Conner back! So stop acting like a one man circus!"

"Superman," Kaldur started, keeping everything as reasonable as possible, "we are not going to get any closer to finding Conner by being divided. And cutting yourself off from those who would help is only making everyone miserable. He would not want this. I am certain Superboy would rather you worked with everyone again and find him as quickly as possible."

Superman looked away, abashed and no longer resisting. After all, the Atlantian was right. He was acting like an unruly child, stubbornly hunting down his target when he hadn't a clue where to look, all because his so called friend traded his little brother for the man's son. And it was done behind his back. He was pouting while Conner needed him. The least he could do was listen to the lad's team.

Probably sensing they were getting somewhere, M'gann put him down. He looked over them for a moment, then folded his arms as he tried to be the adult here. "Alright. I get it. I shouldn't have turned my com off. Did your team find anything? Even the smallest clue?"

"Somethings," the young man admitted, "but nothing has panned out quite yet."

"The one you really need to talk to is Batman," Miss Martian insisted, glaring slightly.

Once again the Kryptonian glared at them, grinding his teeth. He did not need to be lectured about this. He already felt guilty enough for driving a wedge between Bruce and Dick. He did not need a reminder. "Not interested. If you'll excuse me."

"Robin returned to him two days ago," Kaldur informed him quickly. Superman snapped his attention back on them, surprise coming to his face. He what? Though he knew Dick would never really leave Bruce alone, he was certain he'd avoid him until either school started up again or Conner was back. With that explosive argument between them, he was almost sure of it. Why did he- "He told us Batman worked night and day trying to find Connor, and worked himself into exhaustion. He reportedly passed out in public and had to be hospitalized. Seeing Batman's determination and how far he was willing to go to find Connor has removed our mistrust of him."

"He never stopped looking for him," M'gann piped in. "And Batman was doing it alone while everyone was against him. I don't think he ever wanted to trade Conner, but since the two of you are so equally stubborn, I wouldn't be surprised if it was completely his idea. Conner's, that is." Fumbling a bit, she tried to explain what they were thinking. "Look, we're all in this mess together but-"

"We can only save Conner if we all work together," Kaldur concluded. "And that means you need to let go of your pride and talk to Batman. When you work together, great things are accomplished. Is not Superboy worth the two of you putting aside your differences in order to bring him home?"

Superman watched them both intently, listening to what they had to say. Guilt spiked through him with every revelation. He didn't think about what Batman was doing for the past few weeks. He just thought about what he did, what was done, and how Kal tore apart his family in retaliation.

The exchange really was Conner's idea. It had to be. Never once did Bruce sacrifice someone else for the sake of another. He was more likely to give up his own life than a child's, especially one who was close to his family and friends. He would also be the first to look into the disappearance of any of their own. Doubled with his guilt of not saving both boys at the beginning, of course Batman would be searching until he passed out.

He probably wouldn't have worked that hard if Clark hadn't been so angry and pigheaded about the entire thing. Maybe they would have even found Conner by then.

Looking away, Superman tried to hide his guilt and shame for condemning his friend so readily. He never was much of an actor though, at least when it came to this. He could almost hear his ma chiding him for his behavior. It was a bit of a miracle she hadn't bitten off his head, or anyone else's, since Conner's abduction. And he didn't even want to think about what his pa would say. He could only wonder what Bruce as going through living with a disapproving Alfred the entire time.

"Fine, I'll go talk to him." He kept his eye on the ground as he admitted, "I've run out of ideas anyway. I take it Robin told you to talk to me?"

"More or less," Kaldur stated, "but we had discussed this at length as soon as we heard word from Kid Flash that Robin returned to Batman's side."

"We're still a bit miffed at Batman," M'gann informed him, poorly hiding her mild contempt for the man. "But when we learned he was working that hard to find him, we agreed to give him a chance. He has to find Connor or we'll beat him senseless."

"That's quite an image." Shaking his head, Superman sighed and looked to the sky. The sun was just starting to set so it was prime time to visit the manor. They would be getting ready to head out by now. "Is that everything you wanted to talk to me about? I have work to get to."

Both teens' eyes narrowed, unsure if he actually listened to them. It was actually kind of funny if they thought about it. Two teenagers were lecturing an experienced adult. When did those two become his parents? What gave them the right to preach to the leader of the Justice League? Batman did it all the time, but he was Batman and did that to everybody. Same with Robin. Gotham must make their heroes speak their minds a lot.

"Did you listen to a word we said?" M'gann demanded, folding her arms angrily. Kaldur almost followed suit; he was thinking rather than responding.

"Every one," the man of steel stated, then cheekily added, "but I can't talk to Batman while standing here talking to you, now can I?" Both his accusers straightened in surprise just as he rose into the air. "I'll talk to you and the others at the cave later."

As he shot out of the forest, he smirked at the sound of their hearts skipping a beat. They really were surprised he gave in so easily. Well it wasn't that easily. He'd been fretting about that ever since he left Wayne Manor after confirming his suspicions weeks ago. He just didn't show it. Ever since that day, he had debated whether or not to talk to Bruce. He just didn't know where to start, or if he should. He wanted to humble the man for years and this was finally a chance. Add to it he really was mad at the mortal, and Clark wanting to prove he was just as good a detective, and you had a person who would come up with more excuses than a con man. He just ran out of leads and excuses. Time to pay the piper.

* * *

A/N: Yeah, tomorrow we have them making up, and more investigation as to why Lex made a grab for Conner. Things will be unfolding quickly now. Like how they put Superman back in line? I thought Kaldur and M'gann deserved more screen time so I put them here. There's strangely very little artemis in here now that I think about it... Whoops.. Ah well. Laters.


	24. It's the Small Things in Life

World's finest are coming together again, plus a new way to search for Conner. Another touchy subject is also coming up, so be warned. And enjoy!

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**24 - It's the Small Things in Life**

Bruce looked up from his laptop propped on his knees when he heard a light knock on his door. Raising an eyebrow, he wondered why Alfred was rapping on his bedroom door as if he was expecting visitors. It was the same rhythm and volume as when he knocked on his office door, something of a code for them. Was someone here? "Come in."

The door opened and the butler stepped inside, a secretive, justified sparkle in his eye. Something really was up if that was there. He straightened in his bed, disturbing the papers around him as his caretaker spoke. "Pardon the intrusion, but you have a visitor."

"I thought I was confined to quarters." Visitors were normally never allowed in occupied bedrooms unless they were brought home by the occupant. One of Alfred's many small rules. If he was receiving visitors, it would have to be in the parlor or study.

"You are. Unfortunately this visitor cannot be blocked by mere wooden doors." He stepped aside, allowing the mysterious guest to enter the room. Bruce stilled his breath as Clark Kent made his appearance, looking a little sheepish. The two locked eyes for a long minute before the butler slipped back out of the room. "I'll leave the two of you to it. Coffee Mr. Kent?"

"Ah, yes please. Thank you." With a nod, the old man left, shutting the door firmly behind him. The two looked at each other again across the room, neither knowing what to say. Kent slowly started to wander the room, getting closer as he observed his friend's situation. "Hi... I... Ah... So! I heard you collapsed at work."

Bruce grunted in acknowledgement, returning his eyes to his computer. He had something more important to do than entertain aliens.

"And you're back to work already." He didn't answer. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Money never sleeps," he finally answered, typing away. "There are millions of people under my supervision. I can't stay inactive for long."

"And yet you go flying around in a cape every other night." Bruce's cold glare over his screen was met with a clearly nervous man practically putting his foot in his mouth. He better get to the point already. "Can't be good for stocks."

"I manage." Actually it was Lucius who did most of the work. Bruce just looked over things and had the final say in many projects. He was the face and the name, very little more.

"You got sick looking for Connor, didn't you."

The statement stilled his fingers for a moment before he pressed on. "It hardly matters."

"So... you haven't found him yet..."

The billionaire kept on typing, pushing past the disappointment. "When I have a solid lead, you'll be the first to know."

Clark gave him a weak smile before speaking again. "Bruce, I... I'm really, really sorry for blowing up at you like that. I shouldn't have lost my temper, and I should have kept my voice down. Thinking back, I can see clearly that it wasn't your idea. If I was in the same position as Conner was, I'd have done the same."

"Damn right you would." The Kryptonian blinked at the statement. "And have. Or have you forgotten Brainiac two years ago?"

At that his visitor stopped to think. Honestly Bruce was surprised he didn't remember it earlier. Brainiac had captured Lois, Jimmy, and half the League, and promised to release them if Superman turned himself in for experimentation. He did, and Brainiac went back on his word. It was a good thing Batman hadn't taken him at his word and arranged for a rescue, using the exchange as a distraction. Once the others were out of their containments and Lois was safely out of the way, Superman and the League were able to save the day. The whole fiasco only lasted two days and was never talked about since, so either of them forgetting about it wasn't that surprising under the circumstances. "Oh. Right."

Silence stood between them for a minute before the CEO spoke again. "Had our roles been reversed, and I found out you traded Dick for Conner, you would be dead right now. So." He looked up to his ally, stating how it would be played out. "We should just count ourselves lucky things are what they are, and that they're not impossible to reverse."

Some tension left Clark's shoulders while a smirk appeared on his face. "You really would have killed me?"

"I wouldn't have stopped at yelling." He looked back to his computer and kept on typing. "And I can't guarantee I'd stop hitting you when you passed out."

"That would have hurt." The reporter thought about it for a moment while Bruce worked on. "Did I hurt you? Physically I mean."

"Nothing I couldn't handle."

"What are you working on anyway?" Curious, the alien approached the bed at last and picked up one of the papers scattered around him. "You're supposed to be resting, unless you want a relapse."

"Oh he's been resting."

Bruce rolled his eyes, smirking a little when Clark jerked around at Dick's voice. The teen was using the bathroom when Alfred opened the door, and waited until the right time to come out. The fact that Clark hadn't heard him until then was amusing. "I've made sure of it."

"Dick!" Surprise screamed from the man's face. "What are you-"

"Dick's hardly left my side since the hospital," the Bat explained. "It's been his personal mission to make certain I rest and don't overexert myself until Leslie and Alfred say otherwise."

"But since we both go stir crazy when we have nothing to do, and Conner's still missing," the teen shrugged, "we compromised. We've been looking at everything from new angles. Nice to see you too Clark. You on a diet? You look a little thinner."

"Ah, no..." He watched as Dick made his way back to the bed and flopped onto a cleared out area with a tablet sleeping nearby. If the alien thought about it, the oddly placed open space on the bed should have been a clue Bruce wasn't alone. "I've been working pretty hard lately and just forgot to eat."

"How long does it take for Kryptonians to pass out from overwork?" The question was a fairly good one, causing both men to shrug. Dick shrugged as well. "Well, I'm guessing it's time for you to kick back for a few and clear your head. Rest a bit. Take a nap."

"I'll nap when I'm dead." The comment gained him a snort from the duo, easing any tension that was left in the room. "What exactly are you working on?"

"Looking through Luthor's medical reports." Confusion looked pretty good on the farm boy's face, almost natural. Bruce picked up a file and passed it over to Clark while they explained things. "While I was looking through his financials, I noticed an increase in medical expenses. Lex Luthor's had a lot of examinations in the past six months. At first I thought he was just being paranoid about kryptonite radiation-"

"But that's harmless to humans," Clark insisted, looking over the spread sheets with care. "Hamel and S.T.A.R. Labs proved it doesn't hurt anyone but me and Conner."

"It doesn't show any immediate signs or negative effects on humans," Dick corrected, picking up another hard copy to pass to him. "And if a person is exposed to it in small amounts for brief periods of time, there are no reactions at all. But prolonged exposure, ingestion, or large amounts can cause cancer and/or possible insanity."

"It just takes longer for the radiation to affect humans." The wary look Bruce received from his friend made him sigh. "I'm fine. I don't always carry around the ring and when I do have it on my person, I have it in a lead sealed compartment until I use it. Luthor though is not that cautious."

"He may be now," the teen piped in. "Hamel's paper on prolonged exposure made headlines around the same time the checkups increased."

"That's likely," the CEO conceded. It was very likely actually. One thing Lex Luthor was not, was stupid. "Whether he did or not isn't the question. It is what he learned from the doctors he's been seeing."

"What, is Luthor dying?" Clark was still going through the files they handed him, wondering what they were getting at.

The two exchanged brief looks before Dick snorted and looked back to his tablet, a little red. Bruce sighed at the lad's immaturity. "No, he's not dying. They caught the cancerous cells before they could infect his entire body, but there was another effect of the radiation that appears to be longer lasting. The gland producing follicle stimulating hormone was badly damaged, possibly mutated."

"Huh?" The teen giggled at the grown man's confusion, making the Bat sigh heavily once again. Chemistry and biology weren't required subjects for reporters after all.

"It's one of the main hormones needed for sperm production." Judging by how pink the man became, Bruce could tell he'd be bright red if a woman was in the room. Such a child... Then there was the giggling teen at his feet. He nudged him with his foot to get him to stop giggling and grow up a bit. This was a serious subject, and it explained everything. "Luthor has an incredibly low sperm count, making it near impossible for him to produce children. If he wants an heir, he'll have to take a series of steroids before copulation. Dick cut it out."

"Sorry," the boy giggled, a bit pink as well. "It's just funny, that's all. Lex Luthor prides himself on being the superior man, and he can't even-"

"DICK!" Clark objected to the route the conversation was going, turning redder by the moment. "That's highly inappropriate!"

"I can't vouch for how he performs," Bruce butted in, seeing some of the humor in this. Plus it embarrassed the farm boy. That was always fun. "We would have to ask-"

"BRUCE!"

The duo both shrugged, one desperately trying not to giggle and failing. "I'm just saying he's not much of a man now is he."

"That's not the point!" Clark was beet red now, embarrassed for his enemy's sake. He waved a hand over to the teenager while glaring at Bruce. "He's just a kid and you guys just-"

"I had Sex Ed Clark," Dick stated as clearly as possible. "I'm fourteen. And besides, I've been around the block before and I know what a 'swinging bachelor' is. I know how it all works."

"Which is both fortunate and distressing." They all looked to the door where Alfred was coming in, carrying a tray with small snacks, a cup of coffee, and a nice tea set ready for use. Bruce readjusted his seating again to accept his cup while Dick sat up a bit straighter and Clark attempted to help him. "But as Master Richard's knowledge and how he gained it on the subject is irrelevant, I suggest you get to the point of the matter."

"Quite right Alfred." Smirking slightly, the CEO took his cup of Earl Gray and proceeded to return the conversation to the real subject. "Point of the matter is, Luthor told us last month he wanted 'a son for a son'. He never explained why he wanted Connor now, after a year in the open. This explains everything."

"Wait a minute," Clark interrupted, not understanding his reasoning. "Are you saying Luthor _wants_ kids?"

"In a sense." He glanced over to Dick before he explained. "It has to do with business."

"Business?" Now he lost the man.

"Yes, business. I didn't know about it until after I took Dick in, but stockholders, the company board, potential business partners, even some people in the government, see children as a sign of company stability." Bruce knew the reporter was still confused so he tried to explain it better. "Clark, it's simple. In a small town, which shop is likely to have more customers and do better: the one run by a married couple or the one run by a single person with no interests in family?"

"The mom and pop store," he answered automatically.

"Why is that?"

He shrugged. "Tradition?"

"Exactly." The businessman elaborated, making it as clear as possible to his audience. "Traditionally a married couple is able to help each other out and are viewed as well grounded, like lords and ladies of old. Some couldn't even have a title until after they were married, just to make sure they didn't throw themselves away in sin. This mindset still exists today, so a married company owner is seen as stable.

"The effect doubles if there is a child." The idea struck Clark for a moment, forcing him to sip his coffee to gather his bearings as he listened. "An heir to the throne was always proof to the people of stability in old cultures. An heir to a shop or company guaranteed the place would remain open a long time. Nowadays, if a CEO has a child, they are viewed as grounded, attentive, and capable of working with others."

"Really?"

"Roughly." Bruce took a sip of his tea as he finished his explanation. "Stocks go up at least two percent when a CEO is married while in command. It goes up another five when a child is born. More partnerships and deals open up, moral increases, and the company's viewed better by the world. Increase in contracts and attitude means more money. Having an heir, even without a wife, helps in business all the way around."

"Okay..." Clark seemed to be working through it in his mind when it was actually quite simple. The face of the company reflected on the company's capabilities as well. If the CEO had a stable, suitable family life, then the company was seen in a better light. If the family had a great deal of problems, well it was likely the business was suffering too due to a highly distracted manager. It was just the psychology of the matter. The reporter still had questions. "So... If Luthor just wants an heir for stocks and contracts, why doesn't he just adopt like you did?"

Dick cringed as he answered the question. "Blood heirs are better accepted in high society, even those out of wedlock. Unless the child is adopted as a baby or from another well off family, we're viewed as money grubbing opportunists or toys for our guardians."

Sadly, Bruce grunted an agreement. Life was a lot harder for Dick because of his origins. "The rich are sometimes known for hiding their children from the public and each other. No one will think twice if Conner is presented as his son out of the blue so long as he has a backstory and documents to support it."

That didn't sit right with the Kryptonian. "Conner would never-"

"Mind control. Brainwashing. Stockholm syndrome. Blackmail." He looked at Clark straight in the eye as he presented the options, each of them likely. "Any one could make him agree to be Luthor's son. Even believe it. Which is why we need to find him soon. The longer he's in his custody, the higher the chance he won't want to leave."

"If he's with Luthor for a year, we may not get him back." Dick tapped a bit on his tablet, bringing out more spreadsheets. They'd been looking through them ever since they made the connections a few hours ago. Why they hadn't thought if it earlier was beyond them, but they were glad they did. Knowing Lex Luthor's motivations made it easier to look for the right things. If he really wanted an heir, he needed to buy certain things. Teenagers were expensive. "We're looking over all his financials since Cadmus for any irregularities and it's taking forever. We keep finding new categories and sub-budgets. It's worse than looking for Batman in Wayne Enterprises. Wanna help?"

"Want to help, Master Richard," Alfred corrected lightly. He was fluttering around the room, picking up papers that fell to the floor and placing them back on the bed.

A confused reporter looked over the two for a moment. "I thought you were looking at his medical records."

"I'm looking through medical for anything I may have missed," Bruce specified. "Dick's better at numbers than medical terminology so he's looking through financials." He typed away for a moment before finishing the debate. "The printer in the study has records of Luthor's food purchases for the past year waiting to be examined. Find the normal purchasing changes then see where it changes, and where the food is sent."

Clark cracked a smile for a moment. "Food?"

"Growing boys have to eat." The detective smirked to himself as his ally started towards the door. "It's the small details criminals tend to overlook that do them in."

* * *

A/N: Okay, honestly, I'm not sure if company stability and having a family life correlate like that, but it's a fun theory. I did do some research on what hormones are needed for male reproduction so that's right. It'll be brought up again later by other people. I know Bruce wouldn't normally kill people wither, but if Superman had done something to his Robins, there would be no place on earth or in the universe safe enough for him. As for how they're finding Conner, well, I couldn't think of another way. Lex said in Invasion that he didn't know taking over the world required so much paperwork, so likewise, taking care of a teenager out of the blue also leaves a paper trail. The paper trail will prove it, but like Tim said in 'A lonely place for dying' (must read), if you start knowing someone is somewhere, it's a lot easier to prove it. How will they find out? Tomorrow, you shall know all! XD


	25. From the Mouth of Babes

Bit of bonding on all sides, then some answers. Enjoy! This is a long one.

* * *

**25 - From the Mouth of Babes**

"A puzzle?" Connor looked at the box he was presented with, really not sure what to think. His last complaint of boredom resulted in one of the rooms being converted into a gym, but then he was bored again when he was done for the day. He never was one to sit still for very long. He didn't complain about anything for two days and suddenly Lex pops up with a puzzle?

"I thought you may enjoy it." He handed the box to the teen and smiled as he explained. "I used to solve large puzzles with my mother when I was little. We even put them on display when we were done."

The clone looked at the artwork on the box, still mystified by the idea of a family activity between them, then froze. He didn't hear Lex offer to work with him on it, how large it was, or even him asking if anything was wrong. The image was burning into his mind, breaking his heart in two. It couldn't be...

A tear rolled down his face as he recalled a warm and cozy home, one smelling of hay, corn, and cows. Apple pie in the oven and the sound of cicadas overtook his senses. Two kind elderly people were telling him of their adventures raising an alien baby as their own. They always had the best stories and loved to share pictures. No one could ask for a better life than the one he nearly had as well.

"Lionel?" A heavy hand on his shoulder nearly yanked him from his thoughts, but Conner did look up a little. Lex was kneeling to his eye level, concern on his face. "What's wrong?"

"N... Nothing." He wiped his face clear of tears and took a breath to calm himself. "I just... It's a really nice picture. Thanks."

"Lionel," the man started, a little worried, "if you're not interested-"

"I said it's fine." Getting off the couch, Conner headed out of the room. "I just need a minute, that's all. Thanks."

"Lionel-" Lex didn't get a chance to finish whatever he was saying. The lad rushed to his bedroom, closing the door behind him and sitting against it, the puzzle in his lap. He didn't want it to disappear. It was the only thing that reminded him of the Kents in the entire apartment. The only thing that reminded him of who he really was.

The puzzle was of a farm with lots of grain in the background and even a few cows. The house looked so much like the Kents', the painter could have used it as a model. It was so much like the home he nearly lad, he couldn't let it go. He had to remember what home was, who he really was, who his family was.

He was forgetting his name was Conner Kent.

Head touching his knees and shielding the puzzle with his body, Conner murmured to himself as he mourned for the life he might have had, and now never could experience. "My name is Conner Kent. My name is Conner Kent. My name is Conner."

* * *

In all honestly, if Dick wasn't friends with the birthday boy, he'd have ditched the party, social obligation or no. The sound of fifty screeching, spoiled kids was very annoying. The parents trying to make this party into a business opportunity nearby were even worse. Everyone where was in the 100 club, and only a few people were decent enough to get along with. The birthday boy definitely was. Cute little guy just turned eight, and he was very eager to see him again.

Besides, he seriously needed a break from all those numbers and comparisons he'd been doing for the past few days. Or was it a week? He couldn't tell anymore. Everything blurred together. Too many numbers.

"DICK!" Turning towards his name, the teen grinned as the tyke ran up to him excitedly. He didn't stop until his arms were wrapped around his waist in a tight hug.

"Hey there Timmy!" He gave the munchkin a tight squeeze before letting go and kneeling down to eye level. "How ya been? Haven't seen you since your parents sent you to that boarding school."

"Mostly good." Timmy Drake kept that excited grin on his face as he talked to his favorite neighbor/sitter/big brother figure. He was always attached to Dick for one reason or another. For a time no one was closer to the kid. Who knew about that now. "It gets boring and some people are mean, but I did what you said and now they leave me alone."

"That's good to know." Dick grinned fondly at the boy, glad he was managing. Bruce had horror stories about those places but he always felt the man was exaggerating.

"I missed you," the kid pouted, being as adorable as ever. His big, dark blue eyes under that black mop of hair made him so freakishly cute to the point that even Alfred had trouble saying no to him. He really had missed his surrogate brother.

"I missed you too," the teen admitted, then gave an impish grin. "But I think that pile of presents misses you more. Or that cake. I'm leaning to the cake myself. Care to check it out?"

That got him a giggle, nodding in agreement. Timmy took Dick's hand and they made their way to the tables holding the presents and cake. Dick tossed his gift onto the pile a while ago but wanted to say hi to the birthday boy before anything else. He really had missed being around the tyke. Even if he always asked him to perform.

Speaking of which... "Hey Dick?" He looked up to the teen, slightly hesitant and nibbling his lower lip. When did he become this passive? "Think you can do that awesome flip later? Ryan Brent doesn't believe me when I talk about it."

"Ryan your friend?" Dick passed over a piece of cake to the kid before taking one for himself. A generic store bought white cake with classic decorations, nothing too fancy. How he wished he could have brought one of Alfred's cakes instead. The man spoiled him with his cooking.

"No."

The teen watched the boy as he answered so frankly. Looked like there was more going on with Ryan than he was willing to tell. Such a pity Timmy actually listened to those manners lectures. Dick really wanted to hear the kid tattle on someone one of these days. Instead he told him the facts as impassively as he could. "He just doesn't believe me. He says I'm a liar. I'm not."

"Couldn't find anyone more honest," the teen stated clearly, smirking to himself. He took a bite of his cake then made a decision. "How about this; there's gonna be a magic show later right?"

"Uh huh."

"After the show's over, you can get on the stage and tell people you have one more surprise for them: a real actual gymnast."

"I thought you were an acrobat." Timmy cocked his head to the side, confused. It only made the older boy laugh.

"I'm both, but I can't swing on anything here so we'll just go with gymnastics. We'll direct people over to..." He looked around for a large open area near the makeshift stage. The magician was already setting up for his act. Looked like he'd need time to take it down too. A distraction on the flat lawn about thirty feet to the left of it would work nicely. "There. Tell them to stay on the cobblestones or I will land on them. I'll do my trick and then you won't have to worry about Ryan again." He grinned at the boy. "Sound good?"

"Very good." A smaller grin came back to him. "Maybe even whelming."

Dick nearly choked on a laugh. "Ah, not quite the right use for it, but if you can feel the aster then it's all good."

Timmy laughed, always fond of his wordplay. They tried to come up with new ones every once in a while, but nothing came to mind right then. Encouraging him, Dick, led him back to the tables to finish his cake and talk to the other kids. He recognized most of them as high class kids that occasionally came to the functions he did, and other than the fact that they all met before, there was nothing in common between any of them. Maybe one or two of them actually cared for another there, but this was pretty much another excuse for the rich to be seen together. Who knew if anyone but Dick and the Drakes actually cared about the boy at all.

Shaking that thought aside, Dick made a point to make this as happy a birthday for the tyke as he could. Bruce was stuck at home, confined now to the house rather than his room for another day, and couldn't join in. After getting a few of the good kids into a cup game with him, Janet Drake started passing her son presents to open. She gave Dick an appreciative smile, glad someone was making her baby laugh with the others. It grew louder and more excited when he opened his gift: an autographed picture of Blue Beetle. He went through a lot of hoops to get that gift and it was worth it to see Timmy light up like a roman candle. None of the other gifts were near as cool, but the camera his dad Jack was a close second.

Watching the boy hug his parents in thanks for their gifts made him remember the last birthday he had with his parents. The acrobat's mom tried to make an elephant cake, but it turned into a volcano by default. His dad had someone make fresh strawberry ice cream to join it, and by the time they got to it, it was soft and starting to seriously melt. They both tasted wonderful. The gifts he got were few and inexpensive: a book of European fairy tales and a hand sewn costume to wear next time he performed. One was a base for his Robin uniform and the other stayed at his bedside all these years. Good memories.

As the magician got onto the stage, Dick saw all the children gather for once, just to watch. Some heckled. He stuck near Timmy, ready to get to work as soon as the show was over. Plus it was fun to mumble how the trick was done to the kid. One time the birthday boy even figured it out and pointed it to him, keeping his voice low for the others. There was one point when he recognized that it was real magic, like Zatanna and Doctor Fate, but played it off as sleight of hand for the kids. Sometimes it was better to just fake that magic was a trick.

At the end of it all, Timmy motioned to his dad and the two of them got on stage. He whispered their plan in his ear while the others were getting seated for the show earlier, and now all they had to do was get in position. Both Drakes quieted the crowd before making their announcement. They had to be quick; it was almost time for the guests to start leaving.

"Thank you Marlo the Magician. What a guy! Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls of all ages!" Jack Drake was quite a showman, gaining everyone's attention with ease and a loud voice. You could tell he dealt with conflicting personalities all the time. Dick walked around the crowd to get into position, being as subtle as possible as the man spoke. "Thank you all for coming today to my son Timothy's eighth birthday party! The gifts are well appreciated! We hope you've had fun so far, but it's not quite over yet.

"Today we have a special surprise for you!" He continued, watching the teen from the corner of his eye. He was nearly to the grassy area they were planning to use. "Not only do we have the Magnificent Marlo here, but we also have the last Flying Grayson! The only person in the world who can perform the quadruple somersault!"

"That means he can flip four times in the air before touching the ground!" Timmy explained. "It's really hard! They don't even do it in the Olympics!"

Dick kept his mouth shut about that, smiling shyly. He may not actually be the only one who could do it, just the only one who was known to do it in the Gotham area. Still he made his way to the site while the kids got excited for the impromptu performance. And here he was hoping to just do one trick.

"Quite right son," Jack encouraged. He locked eyes with the teen, finally in position, and nodded. "You all know him, or will after tonight. Here he is! Richard Grayson!"

Everyone burst into applause as soon as Mr. Drake waved a hand over to Dick, who bowed graciously to them all. He never lost the flare for the dramatic. He kept bowing and thanking the crowd until the birthday boy was off the stage and nearby. This was for him after all.

"Thank you! Thank you all! You're a lovely crowd. Really. Everyone here?" The acrobat looked around, hoping that Timmy's non-friend Ryan was there. "I hope so. Okay! Here we go peoples! Now, before we get started I'd like to ask, do any of you know what an aerialist is?"

The birthday boy's hand flew up immediately, as did one or two others. He picked a little girl with pigtails. "Someone who flies through the air on swings."

That made him laugh. "Close. Those swings are called a trapeze. And most of the time we work in teams. Unfortunately, my team got lost on the way to Gotham and couldn't make it. So did my trapeze." He made a face to show disappointment, making the kids laugh. Then he lightened up. "But, much of trapeze work is gymnastics, and I can do that on the ground. Anyone tell me what gymnastics are?"

More hands flew up, and he picked a boy who had to be around Timmy's age. He had a skeptic look around him and a pristine suit. Was this Doubting Ryan? "Gymnastics are cartwheels, flips, and handstands and stuff."

"Roughly, yes." He looked around the others, explaining further. "There's a lot more to gymnastics, and certain techniques require special equipment. That got lost too." They giggled at his predicament. None of them had to know this was all last minute. "So we'll have to work with a floor routine, otherwise known as tumbling. I could use a willing volunteer for one part, but that person has to be really brave."

"I can do it!" Timmy volunteered, nearly bouncing on his feet. It was so cute it was almost impossible to say no. But still...

"Sorry Timmykins," Dick teased a little, taking off his jacket. "I have another important job for you. Hold on to this for me. I don't want to lose it."

"Okay..." The kid pouted a bit but took the garment anyway, his cell phone accidentally slipping out in the process. He didn't watch him pick it back up but looked over to that Ryan kid. He had to stop the bully most of all.

"How about you! You look like a strong young lad."

The boy shrugged, trying not to be impressed. By the end of the performance, he would be. "What do I do?"

"Just stand perfectly still where I tell you to." Ryan left the crowd and came about ten feet out before stopping. Dick grinned, knowing he'd be taking care of this guy in seconds. "Perfect. Now just stay there. Everyone else! Stay on the cobblestones! I need the space to work."

He looked around one more time to make sure everyone was back and away at a safe distance. Grinning, he started the show. "Alright! Let's start with the basics shall we?" Without a thought, he put his hands on the ground and lifted his feet skyward. "This is a handstand. Very basic. Walking like this can be very fun."

Carelessly, he walked around like that for a minute like it was the most normal thing in the world. A few of the kids were giggling at the sight, but he didn't stop. Instead he looked at one of them and grinned. "Mind getting me some water? Preferably with a straw. I can drink upside down."

"Okay!" The little girl ran off and he held off doing anything but crack jokes until she returned. Slightly hesitant, she left the cobblestones and brought the bottle and straw to him. "Here."

"Thanks hon." He spread his legs for balance as he lifted one hand and took it, sipping a drink eagerly. His audience gasped in amazement, making him grin. Carefully he put it back down then returned to his upright position, still drinking. A few of them clapped, encouraging a small bow. "Thank you thank you. If you'd return to the path m'lady."

The helpful child went back to her position earlier as he talked some more. "Now, I should have said this earlier, but some of these tricks should not be done without parents or teachers nearby. In other words, don't do this at home kids. I'm a professional. Some people get seriously hurt doing this without training, so get some before trying anything too advanced. A handstand is one of the first things you have to master in gymnastics.

"Next up, a cartwheel." Dick grinned at them, hearing both groans and cheers. "Now now, don't dis the basics. I know adults that can't do it." He set the bottle down and immediately started wheeling back and forth in front of them. The way he did it reminded them of a real wheel, never stopping. Eventually he did a full circle around Ryan, forcing the kid's jaw to drop a fraction. When he stopped, everyone applauded. He turned to look at everyone, grinning. "See? It can be really fun if you do it right.

"Next up, a roundoff. This is something you may have accidentally done when you didn't get a cartwheel right, and it's easy." The acrobat proceeded to perform the simple maneuver in front of the kids several times, then moved on to forward and backward handsprings. He finished off the basics instruction with somersaults, forward, backward, and two before landing. Several times he had to tell the kids to stay on the cobblestones to keep them safe before finishing, but it was worth it.

Finally done with those, he grinned at everyone. "Well, now that you know what's coming, how about a floor routine?" Cheers erupted from his audience, even doubting Ryan not too far off. Timmy was practically glowing with that grin of his. Everything was going well. "Good! Alright, now it's this guy's turn to help. Ready?"

"I... I think so." Ryan shook a little but he honestly seemed ready to go. He better be.

"Good! Now," Dick started going to the far edge of the performance area, calculating distance and velocity as he spoke, "I need you to stay perfectly still. You move even a little, and I could get seriously hurt."

"Not me?"

"I'm a professional," the teen reminded him. "If anyone's getting hurt around here, it's me. Ready?"

The boy was unsure for a moment, then he nodded. That was enough for him. "Here we go!"

Running forward, he started with a roundoff, then did two handsprings before twisting into a flip and vaulting off the kid's shoulders. He twisted into four successive somersaults before landing on the far opposite side of him, automatically springing backwards into another backwards handspring, finishing the routine. Hands in the air, he turned to his audience and grinned at their roaring applause. Man that felt good.

"Thank you! Thank you! Now remember what I said folks. Don't try this at home. I had training since before you were born, any of you." He tried to give them the evil eye to make sure they listened. "So until you have just as much training, don't even try it. Cartwheels and roundoffs, go ahead and try those, but have someone nearby to help in case things go wrong. Even pros need help every once in a while. Let's give this guy a round of applause!"

He waved his hands to his volunteer who was still gaping at him in shock as the crowd erupted again. After a moment, the guy bowed, then ran back into the crowd. The kids circled him tightly, chatting away and giving Dick ample distraction to go back to the birthday boy still holding his stuff. Dick grinned at Timmy as he took them back. "Think that convinced him?"

"Oh yeah! He was totally whelmed!" That made the teen laugh, elated the boy kept up the word play. After a moment to breathe, Timmy tugged on his sleeve and asked, "Hey Dick? What's wrong with that boy?"

"Huh?" Wondering where that came from, Dick looked over the crowd to see if there was a kid with disabilities there. He didn't see one earlier, but he could be wrong. "Which boy?"

"The one on your phone."

The teen blinked at him in confusion, forcing the kid to take action. He poked the cell's screen and pointed at the photograph on it. Even locked, the image of his team in regular clothes was visible. The one Timmy specifically pointed at was Conner. "That boy. What's wrong with him?"

For a moment Dick's heart leapt to his throat, coming to a complete stop. As far as he knew, Conner had never crossed paths with the Drakes, let alone Timmy. As far as he knew. Why was he asking? "What makes you think there's something wrong with him?"

"Because he was at the hospital." He looked up at the teen, curious more than anything. "Mommy said that when people lived in the hospital, that they were really sick. So what's wrong with him? Who is he anyway?"

"I... Ah..." His heart started to pound in his chest as an idea settled in. A lead. A solid lead. Was it real? Carefully he guided the boy back to a table, away from the others, and knelt before him, trying to contain his excitement. "His name's Connor. He's a good friend of mine, but I don't know if there is anything wrong with him. His... dad... took him away somewhere last month without any word and I've been trying to find him. Are you sure this is the same guy?"

"Yep." Timmy took the story easily, somewhat satisfied. "He had that same look on his face and everything. And he was really strong. He didn't look sick, but Mommy said-"

"Let's ignore what Mommy said for a moment," Dick interjected, licking his lips in anticipation. "Can you tell me how you found him?"

"Uh huh. I got lost looking for a bathroom while Mommy and Daddy were on a tour of a hospital. I thought he didn't like visitors at first, but he helped me find a bathroom. Then he told me to leave fast because the door bit me and not tell anyone I saw him until after I was home." He smiled fondly at the memory. "He said 'turbing'."

Definitely Conner. Conner in a hospital. What was going on behind the scenes? Still, the sure knowledge that Connor was still alive and well was good. Smiling, Dick kept on asking questions. "I bet he did. Can you tell me more about the place he was in? The room in particular."

Looking up in thought, Timmy tried to remember. "The place looked like a house inside, different from the hospital part. And it was all redish. The light was red, except around the door. That was green. It was easy getting in, but I needed his help getting out. The door bit me. I think it was biting him a lot when he opened it."

Okay, so Conner was living somewhere with red solar lamps and kryptonite around the exit. A biting door... Maybe it was electrified? Had Timmy learned what electricity felt like? Sometimes it felt like a quick bite. And this was part of a hospital? They had to get a copy of the Drakes' itinerary for the past few weeks. This was the lucky break they were praying for!

"Is he going to be alright?"

A grin growing wider and wider by the second, Dick answered. "Yes Timmy. He's going to be very much alright."

* * *

A/N: Yep! That little boy a few chapters back was Timmy! I made him a little older than I usually do to coincide with the normal timeline but it's probably not old enough to match it. Oh well. Conner and Timmy met at a hospital, and then he saw Conner on Dick's phone. Curiosity got the better of him and he asked. His question leads the heroes to the captive. So a little kid ends up saving the day. YAY! XD Love kids.

As for the gymnastics, I have a few books about that and martial arts. Supposed to be for pictures, but I enjoy learning about it all anyway. I wish I was a gymnast...

And lastly Conner and Lex. They've getting rather chummy now. My family used puzzles for bonding time so I thought it'd be something those two would do together. Making it a farm scene was pure genius cuz up until that point, Conner had nothing to remind him of his past life. Being isolated like this and forced to not do things he'd normally do was starting to make him forget who he was. Man I love mind games.

Well until next time. ^^V


	26. Found Something You Have, Eh?

YAY! They're closing in! Now to be sure about the intel...

* * *

**26 - Found Something You Have, Eh?**

"_I want to meet this tip of yours_," M'gann insisted over the speaker. The entire team was in a conference call soon after Dick made it back to the manor and told Bruce what he learned that afternoon. Needless to say, he was no longer in lockdown from the cave. In order to find and verify the possible location of Superboy's imprisonment, they needed the batcomputer. As soon as they had a list of places the Drakes went to recently and found the 'hospital', they were finding as many signs as possible to verify he was there.

So far everything was looking good. Entertainment items meant for teenaged boys were stashed among the shipping manifests. The new facility had red solar lamps and electrified doors inside its construction plans. Also classified shipments were hand delivered to the location. That meant kryptonite.

Only confusing part: it was a medical research facility, partly acting as a hospital for terminally ill patients suffering from organ failure. The only catch for the patients being there was they had to submit to testing for possible cures. It was Luthor's latest play for the humanitarian award, and it was working. Should have known it was a front. Why was he keeping Conner there?

"Not really an option Megs," Dick told her, already working on hacking into the building's system without being detected. Pretty tricky since it was Luthor's systems instead of others, but he was getting there, slowly. "I talked to him as a civilian, and he's eight. He doesn't do secrets too well."

"_But he probably saw something we could use and didn't tell you!_" M'gann was very, very anxious about this, and anyone listening in could tell. She really needed to relax. "_I could look into his head and-_"

"Your uncle's going to take a look into his mind tonight," Bruce informed her as he continued to verify their information. Small things, like packages, food, even bathroom supplies, were going to point them in the right direction. Though little would be suspicious being bought through the hospital, one had to wonder why higher quality of food was being sent there. And games. And designer clothes. Shipping and receiving rarely lied. "He has more practice, with children in particular."

"And he's a friend," the teen insisted. "A really good kid. We don't want him getting hurt."

"_I wouldn't hurt him!_" She whined back, only for others to step up.

"_In your current frame of mind, you may, on accident,_" Kaldur coolly stated.

"_Yeah she wouldn't..._" Artemis had started, but stopped partway through their leader's observation. "_Oh._"

"I'm not saying you do it on purpose M'gann," Dick restated, "just that I don't want to risk a kid's mind. He's a pretty sharp kid, and if you two accidentally compared notes, I'd be toast."

"_Hmmm... Toast._"

"You're not helping Wally."

"_Then don't call me when I'm hungry._" There were a few comments about how he's always hungry running around the group call before they got on topic again. "_So, how long until we can rescue him?_"

"We need to do recon first," Bruce insisted. "Get the lay of the land."

"_We know where he is!_" M'gann insisted. "_Why can't we go after him now?!_"

"This is a civilian occupied building," the man insisted, dropping his voice just a little further down. Dick tried not to feel anything during this conversation because he knew exactly how both of them felt. "Critically injured civilians and doctors who specialize in saving them. If we act too quickly, innocents will be hurt or die. We need a plan of action that will minimize casualties and exposure. Without a plan, which has to be followed to the letter, this will be a disaster."

"Heavy on the dis," his partner added in a murmur. "Luthor can get people to believe we're sabotaging his good name with the right footage. This would wreck the League's image, and all of ours individually."

"This has to be an extraction. Just an extraction." Bruce was in Batman mode right then, instructing them as usual. "No one can be seen by the cameras, by the staff, or by anyone currently in residence there. No property damages, no interrogations."

"_What if Luthor has some super powered nut job guarding him?_" Artemis' question was quite viable. Knowing Lex Luthor, he wouldn't have the clone unguarded. "_Do we fight the guard?_"

"That is why we're doing surveillance first," the Bat insisted. "To know what we're up against and make a plan that effectively takes care of all possibilities while accomplishing a single goal."

"_Sound planning,_" Kaldur agreed. "_What do we need to do?_"

"There are only two team members capable of performing close surveillance without being identified. Clearly only one of you can control yourself during it." Dick winced in sympathy for M'gann. That was nearly a slap in the face for her. The others either didn't have secret identities or were known to the bad guys for other reasons. "Wallace, you're going inside to shadow one of the doctors."

"_Huh?_" Many of them had to agree. What?

"It's not unusual for high school students entering college shortly to shadow medical professionals for a few days to see if they really want to go into that field," he explained. It was actually quite simple. "You're the right age and in the right position to qualify without suspicion. Papers and credentials are already being processed, along with a temporary identity. All you have to do is follow a doctor for the day, get the lay of the land, and report back."

"_You want _me_ to go undercover?_" The idea was pretty hard to get around. He wasn't the best at that kind of work.

"You have the scientific background to ask questions and not sound out of place, and a face Luthor can't identify as a threat." There was a slight smirk on the man's face. "And when we're done with you, only your mother will recognize you."

There was silence for a moment on the other end before Wally admitted what he thought as soon as they made him the central part of their plan. "_We are so screwed._"

* * *

"I see you're enjoying your puzzle."

Conner only looked up briefly before going back to the job he was working on. The picture of a cozy farm in a yellow field looked back to him, with several large holes in it. It was maybe a quarter done, or a fifth. Hard to tell. The thousand piece puzzle was tricky. "Not like I have much else to do. Take it you're done terrorizing people for the day, Metallo?"

"Who says I did at all?" The metal man seemed to smirk at him, smugness in every feature. The tin man liked seeing a hero in confinement. And considering all the fight left this kid, watching him being an obedient lapdog was twice as satisfying. Three times when he remembered this was Superman's clone. "Not everything I do involves people you know."

"What do you want?" The teen gave him an annoyed look, really wishing he could use heat vision or something. All he could do was glare venom at the thing, figuratively.

"The doctors want you for a checkup," Metallo stated simply, thumbing over to the far door. "Apparently there's supposed to be some kind of change in you by now."

Sighing, the clone let go of his next piece and stood up. Great. Another doctor's appointment. He was a lab rat once again. Pushing himself off the table, Conner got to his feet and started towards the double doors leading to the medical part of that building's floor. They had artificial kryptonite around it that turned off whenever he was summoned, and that was when red solar lights turned on beyond them. This exit was on the far side of the apartment, opposite the door lined with real kryptonite leading out of there. He had explored the other side as much as he could before, but every exit out of that part was lined with the green gems. Real or not, they still hurt and he couldn't get past them.

Seeing the lights beyond the door were red and not a hint of green, Conner just kept going, his handler following after. He really was a whipped puppy now and didn't fight back. This was just life.

It wasn't long before he went into one room and took his shirt off so they could start the physical. Doctors surrounded him, put wires on him, and he did as he was told. Everything from running on a treadmill to being poked and prodded until the cows came home. He could almost swear people were watching him through the windows for scientific study as the assessment went forward. He cast the shaded glass a cold look before choosing to ignore them. May as well get this over with.

On the other side of the glass though, a bespectacled young man with raven hair and freckles was trying not to have a panic attack. Conner was alive and well, though nowhere near as spirited as last they saw each other. But there he was, breathing and able.

What was keeping the guy there? All around him were just doctors. Well, the light was red in there so maybe he didn't have his powers. And Batman mentioned artificial kryptonite bracelets. Was that what was on his wrists? Some doors had a strange green lining. Was that the same thing? This was getting scary. Superboy not fighting though was the scariest bit. Since day one he was a fighter. Now he wasn't fighting, at all.

What happened to him?

"Easton!" The shadowing teen jerked his eyes back to the doctor he was supposedly paying attention to. "Stop staring. The patients don't like being on display."

"Sorry," 'Easton' murmured, going forward. He kept looking around every day during the assignment, getting the lay of the land. He only had one day left and was lucky to get this far. "It's just... fascinating."

"The human body usually is. Now come on. There's a lot of paperwork to do."

The teen nodded and followed. "So... what's he being tested for?"

"It's just a physical," the doctor insisted. "I'm not partial to details. More than likely though, he suffers from some kind of organ failure."

"But he's running," 'Easton' pointed out. "I thought really sick people couldn't run without-"

"It was probably caught early or a pre-congenital condition," the man insisted. "May even be recovering after a transplant. It's hard to tell without the facts. Now let's go."

The teen nodded, looking one more time to the clone beyond the glass. When that day's recordings from his glasses entered the computer, he knew of at least eight people who would be ecstatic. Location confirmed. Security established. Layout certain. Conner didn't look like he was in danger so after his cover was done with his stint there, they could make their move. 'Easton Cove' was a fairly good identity and he may need it again.

* * *

A/N: recognize 'Easton'? I like giving Wally that name. Now it has a last one. And with Wally's background in science, I though he'd be the best choice for the undercover job. The whole thing could easily blow up in their face, so they had to do this before rescuing conner. What I find most interesting is how placid he is now. The next chapter will show that some more, but it's also kinda a filler. Conner has to know why Lex wanted him back so badly now. So much fun! XD


	27. Truth Brings Closure

Slowing things down a smidge. they need to plan things after all. Enjoy! An don't forget to review.

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**27 - Truth Brings Closure**

Conner could hardly process what he learned from one of the doctors that afternoon. It wasn't about him. It was about Lex Luthor. He had to learn the truth from them instead of his genetic donor. Why didn't he just tell him? Everything was making sense now.

Cautiously, he looked across the table to the man, not really enjoying the baked ziti they were eating. Did it hurt? Was he okay? How was the man dealing with it? This... had to be really hard on him. No wonder he was so desperate to establish family ties between them. He didn't have anything else.

It was kind of... sad.

"Is something the matter Lionel?" Lex raised an eyebrow at him, curious more than anything. Why wouldn't he be? The clone was very quiet and he kept looking at him all that night. It wasn't like he could openly talk about what he was thinking. No man wanted to be asked something like that out of nowhere. All he could be was silent.

Quickly Conner went back to being interested in his food. "It's nothing."

"Come now," the man persisted, giving him a slightly mocking smile. "You know you can ask me anything. Within reason."

"It's nothing," the teen insisted, keeping his eyes on his food. Why couldn't he leave well enough alone?

"Lionel." The firmer note in the CEO's voice made the lad nibble his lip for a moment. Rao this was awkward. "Son. What's wrong? Tell me."

The clone said nothing for another minute, mixing around his food, before speaking softly. "I saw your medical file today. I'm not the only one being tested all the time." He looked up to the now still man, unsure what to do or say. Though he knew this was a bad man, he couldn't help but feel bad and sorry for him. He didn't want to think about himself in the same position, though they already were sort of in the same spot. "I know why you wanted me back so badly now. Why didn't you tell me?"

Lex became stone still for a long few minutes before sighing and dabbing his mouth with his napkin. "One does not discuss sperm count at the dinner table Lionel. It's impolite, and many find it vulgar."

"But you can't-"

"Actually I can," the millionaire stubbornly stated, glaring slightly at the teen. "With the right woman, the right medication, and the right timing, I can have children. It is just harder to accomplish now. That is the effects of prolonged kryptonite radiation poisoning on humans. We were lucky to catch the effects before it did worse damage."

Worry entered the lad's mind. "But I thought Kryptonite couldn't-"

"We all thought that it was harmless," Lex agreed, "but they believed mercury was safe too and ended up poisoning millions by accident. Lead as well. You learn something new every day. Radiation is radiation, and it was slowly burning me from the inside because I didn't take precautions. Now I am.

"A little exposure won't hurt me," he insisted when he saw the teen looking back to the large double doors leading out of there, the one lined with real kryptonite. "It's a very slow acting radiation on humans. You need at least a year's worth of steady exposure to get to my stage, and that is not impossible to recover from. I'm fine."

The man got to his feet and came over to Connor's side, smiling slightly. He brushed his hand over the clone's cheek affectionately as he reassured him. "Thank you for worrying about me son, but I'm doing quite well. Better than I have in a long time. And it's all thanks to you."

"But... I didn't do anything." The teen looked up at the man, confused and lost at the same time, and highly sympathetic. Ma and Pa Kent tried for years to have kids and never could. He knew they loved Clark as their own, but he also saw the love and pride Batman had for Robin, and Zatara for Zatanna. Wally's parents wouldn't have anyone but their son in their lives if they could. Nothing compared to a blood heir you could raise into a grown man, he was sure of it.

He stayed still as Lex smoothed his face once again, smiling at him as if he were foolish. "My child, you didn't have to. All you ever had to do was live and stay by my side. You're listening to me and are even concerned for my wellbeing. That's all I could ever ask for."

Carefully, he leaned down and planted a soft kiss on his forehead. Conner blinked in surprise, but didn't move from his seat. The affection coming from this man was... odd to say the least, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It was sort of... nice. Only doctors touched him in over a month, doctors and Lex when he was trying to comfort him. He missed it. He didn't realize how much he missed it until there was no M'gann hanging on his arm, no Wally wrapping an arm over his shoulders, no Robin randomly doing things around him, and no Ma opening her arms to him whenever he needed it. He missed being loved like this.

So was he loved? Loved by this man who wouldn't likely have any other children than him? Did he do all this out of love? It was hard to tell as he closed his eyes and soaked it in. He opened them again when the contact left, somewhat disappointed it was so short.

"Sorry about-"

"Hush now," Lex insisted, smiling coyly. He seemed very pleased for some reason. "There are more important things to think about, like finishing dinner and getting back to that puzzle. You've gotten pretty far along."

The teen gave a weak smile as the man turned away and started to inspect his work. Conner didn't know how to help Lex with the kryptonite poisoning, but he could lift his spirits by working on that puzzle together. It was the least he could do for his father.

* * *

Back at the mountain, everyone was stressing to figure out the perfect strategy to extract Superboy without making a ruckus. Security was tight, and where there wasn't security, there were sick people. Luthor really covered his bases well. If it weren't for Batman's cool head, they'd have a PR problem for certain.

"There has to be a way to get him out of there!" Superman insisted, nearly ripping his hair out. "What if we posed as doctors and-"

"Won't work." For the millionth time, Batman rubbed his head, clearing away a headache. "The only thing I think will work is making a distraction that will require emptying the building."

"We've got the security codes and access to their cameras now," Robin piped in. 'Easton's glasses allowed for location to remote hacking earlier, giving them the technological access they needed for future missions. "Why can't we just do that?"

"We don't know their emergency procedures. It isn't in their database." The dark knight sat back from their many screens and plans. Standing around in the main hall when they had no idea what to do started hurting their bodies and almost started a fist fight between M'gann and Wally. She wanted him to save Connor when he was shadowing the doctor and was mad at how he was keeping his calm so easily, instead insisting they protect the civilians there more than their friend. Having them on opposite couches and a coffee table and others between them helped a lot. It helped a lot of them. "For all we know, Luthor's blueprints are missing an escape route from that sector leading out of town. We could lose him all over again."

"What if we infiltrated the place before alarms went off?" Artemis wondered out loud. "That way, we could be there right as they took him out of his cubbyhole and save the day."

"For the same reason we couldn't use you or Kaldur for an undercover mission," Batman reminded them. "Majority of you are recognizable out of costume. You wouldn't have time to get into uniform and stop them from taking him away. Judging from that video," his eyes narrowed at the mention, "he is in no rush to leave. Conner might not come with us at all."

"Stockholm?" Robin's inquiry made a few of them flinch. That would be the worst.

"Likely." "Not possible."

They all looked at Superman who stubbornly glared at the Bat. "Kon-El's not that weak minded."

"It's been a month," the man reminded him. "Anything's possible. Isolated with only Luthor as company, a man who claimed fatherhood to him, Conner might make a strong enough emotional connection to him, overriding his need for freedom."

"He wouldn't-"

"I am certain if we talk to him, he will come willingly." Kaldur's assurances stopped the argument from going any further. They could swear these men had this fight before. "The problem is getting to him so we can talk."

"What about a disguise spell?" Everyone's eyes turned on Zatanna, who for the most part stayed quiet. She shrugged at them before elaborating. "I didn't see any markers to prevent magic from working there. I think Mr. Luthor missed that little protection."

Batman seemed to think about it for a moment before things clicked. "Luthor hasn't seen you in action and Dr. Fate isn't always around. He wouldn't think about your powers."

"If Zatanna can magically disguise us," Kaldur pieced together, "then there is no need for us to be personally discrete. When we are all in position, we can set off an emergency scenario, talk to Conner, and remove him from the building among the crowd. We could literally walk right out the front door with Luthor incapable of stopping us."

"Can you hold that kind of spell in place on so many people over that large a distance?" The Bat was a bit wary of giving Zatanna such a difficult task. Her powers had grown a great deal in the past six months, but even Zatara would have trouble doing what was proposed.

She shrugged sheepishly. "I can try. There will be holes in the spell though, so Conner knows were the ones here for him, but I don't know how long I'll be able to hold it in place."

"Start practicing." A plan was finally forming. All they had to do was cover all their bases and make certain it worked. "Operation commences in twenty-eight hours."

* * *

A/N: Care to guess what's gonna happen next? Coming to a head here. Three chapters left!

Someone asked in another fic for Robin to get stockholm syndrome. I already had that fic done so didn't happen. So here it did! But for superboy, sorry. The question still remains though whether Lex actually loves Conner as his son, a pet, or as a possession. Even I'm not sure. This is the last you'll see of a few characters, but they're still there. Hope you've enjoyed! Leave a review. My inbox's been lonely.


	28. I'm Free! I'm Free! I'm Free! Dang it!

Here it comes peoples! Zeh fight! Some people might seem a bit OOC here, but remember this is a very stressful and delicate situation. their normal selves cannot apply. Enjoy! 20 points if you know where the title came from. -10 if you can't

* * *

**28 - I'm Free! I'm Free! I'm Free! Dang it!**

_'Everyone in position?'_

_'Nearly.'_

_'Copy that.'_

_'This thing itches...'_

_'Focus KF.'_

_'Well it does.'_

_'In position.'_

_'Eyes on Luthor.'_

_'Hold position.'_

_'But he-'_

_'HOLD.'_

_'All set up here.'_

_'Good.'_ They could hear their commander sigh for a moment before giving the signal. _'Light the flame Artemis.'_

It didn't take long for smoke to spread through the air ducts to the rest of the building. All the smoke threw the alarms into a frenzy and the emergency systems activated just as they should. Immediately medical professionals and security guards worked to evacuate everyone in the building, and all the panicking people around them only made it harder. The distraction was so perfect, they never noticed half a dozen people going in the opposite directions.

Kid Flash half dragged Robin while running to the security door leading to Conner's cell. The bird was nearly done removing the electric barrier's program just as Miss Martian and Aqualad appeared. Artemis was protecting Zatanna on the roof where they planted smoke bombs in the ventilation. Smoke without fire and easily seen as a prank. "We're-"

"Come on!" The Martian charged forward, bursting down the double doors and greeting whomever she ran across there head on.

"-in... Girls..." Nodding, the threesome ran in just in time to see their teammate pull five men away from one exit, putting a very surprised Conner in view. "Superboy!"

"Guys?" Wide eyed, the clone just gaped at them, staying where he was. "What are you-OOPH!"

M'gann flew into his arms, holding onto him for dear life and sobbing. "Superboy! I've missed you so much!"

"I..." The clone was so deep in shock he didn't react as the rest of his teammates knocked out the guards and destroyed the kryptonite on the door, making it easy to leave. Robin ran up to the couple and started dismantling the bracelets on the guy's wrists. "Wait a-"

"We don't have a lot of time," the bird insisted, removing one cuff pretty quickly. "Luthor's heavy enforcers should be here any minute."

"Wrong!" A large metallic arm struck out at Aqualad covering the exit, stirring everyone out of their thoughts. Metallo grinned at them in his robotic way. "I'm here now. Come at me 'bro'."

"We'll handle him," Kid Flash stated before charging at the machine. "You two get to the rendezvous!"

"Hold on!" Connor tried, but was ignored. Both the speedster and Atlantian bashed at the creature, holding him off better than they could hope. The conflicted teen just watched the scene slackjawed. "You guys-"

"Come on!" M'gann started pulling him toward the way they came, the door completely destroyed now. "We've got to-"

"Let go!" Jerking away from her, the confused boy stared down both his friends. "I'm not leaving!"

"Superboy?" _'Conner?_' The heartbreak on the girl's face couldn't compare to the amount in her voice.

"What do you mean you're not leaving?!" Robin stepped up, both confused and enraged.

"I mean I'm staying here!" Desperation came from his entire body, one Robin could only see as conditioning. The clone was conditioned to staying in this crazy, red lit place. "I'm not going with you!"

"But Con- Superboy!" M'gann pleaded, tears still in her eyes. "We're your friends! Your family! We've been worried sick about you the minute we found out you were taken prisoner!"

"I'm not a prisoner here!" And he really seemed to believe that.

Internally groaning, Robin stated the truth. "Superboy, it's called Stockholm syndrome. Hostages sometimes develop an emotional connection to their captors making them believe their cause is just and-"

"No it's not!" the clone insisted, getting angry. "It's-"

"LOOK OUT!"

The three of them barely managed to get out of the way of Metallo flying through the air. The cyborg managed to turn in midair and land nicely just seconds before he charged at them again. Robin looked over to Miss Martian and nodded once, mentally showing her a maneuver he had planned. She nodded back, then used her telekinesis to throw the lump of metal into the TV nearby. Robin leapt forward with a birdarang and pried open the panel holding the kryptonite powering him captive. Corben didn't even get a move in when his power source was ripped out of his chest and a small EMP emitter was tossed into its place. He leapt up and out of the way as Aqualad's water struck the bad guy one last time, forcing him to short and power down. Metallo was out.

"What did you do?!" Aghast, Conner almost seemed to leap to the criminal's side to help him. Robin's hands full of kryptonite though kept him away.

"Relax. He's not dead." Carefully the boy wonder put the rock into a lead lined pouch in his belt, later to be added to Batman's super secure kryptonite vault. "Metallo has a secondary power source that keeps his brain alive. He'll have one heck of a headache when Luthor turns him back on, but he'll survive.

"Now let's get out of here. I don't want to run into Parasite or some other big guy."

"I'm not going!" The clone's insistence continued to surprise his comrades, not used to him being stubborn against them. At least not like this. "I'm staying here! With Lex Luthor!"

"Dude! You're confused. We're the good guys here. He's the bad guy!" Kid Flash sported a gash down his arm as he tried to help get them out faster. "He wants to experiment on you and-"

"It's not what you think." Connor ran a hand through his hair as he tried to explain. "It's... it's really complicated."

"Then explain it to us!" Robin flung his hands into the air, demanding answers. "Why do you think you have to be here! With Luthor! Superman's enemy! The creep who kidnapped me to get you in this mess! He used telepathic programing to control you last year! What crazy reason could you have to stay in this place?!"

"It's not crazy!" Mixed emotions played on the clone's face, confusing everyone along with hurting them. "I have good reasons to stay here!"

"Which are what?! Lab rat extraordinaire?"

"I'm not a lab rat!"

"Superboy," Kaldur started, cutting everyone off. His glare and voice caused everyone to listen. "Explain. Why are you so insistent to stay here? After all the battles we went through together to attain the freedoms we have, and how long you struggled to have the family you do, we believed you would be happy to leave this place. But you want to stay? Here? Throwing away the life you built for yourself this past year?" Guilt crept upon the clone's face as he spoke. "None of us really wish to force you into something you do not want, but we must understand. What is keeping you in this place away from everything you love?"

Conner looked away, conflicted once again. He really didn't seem to know what to say. How to say it. Then M'gann whined. "Conner? What's going on?"

"I... I'm dying."

"Then let's get you away from the kryptonite and-"

"No Robin. That's not killing me." He gave a heavy sigh and took a step back, pacing slightly. Taking a breath he explained. "It has to do with how I was made. The accelerated growth, Kryptonian/human DNA, and the cloning process, made a glitch in my genetics. I can't age any further than this, not on the outside. But on the inside..." He looked at them all, pained by the news still. "My internal organs are aging rapidly. According to the doctors here, I've got fifteen years until I start experiencing internal organ failure, twenty max before total collapse.

"I'm going to die, and there's nothing you guys can do about it."

Everyone just gaped at him for a moment in silence, trying to process everything. Conner gave up on standing and sat on the edge of a coffee table supporting a half completed puzzle, sighing to himself. "I really am a poor copy of the original."

"That's a load of crap."

"Robin!" Everyone looked over to their youngest, and currently most angry teammate. The clone looked up at him, glaring, while the rest displayed their shock. M'gann was near tears as she reprimanded him. "How can you say that?!"

"Because it is." He folded his arms stubbornly as he proved his point. "Luthor said you were dying right? Well he lies all the time, and backs everything up with data. It's how he wins all his contracts with the military."

"Rob," Kid Flash piped in, "this entire place is made for people suffering organ failure."

"Human organ failure," the bird reminded them, still glaring at their intended target. "How is that gonna help him? Kryptonian insides are closer to Martians than humans. This place is useless to him."

"The red solar radiation slows down the process," Conner stated, leaping to his feet angry at the insufferable bird. Maybe he wasn't worth sacrificing himself for after all. "This place is keeping me alive!"

"Yeah, alive, but not living. Did you get a second opinion?" Robin's eyes narrowed as he continued to argue. "And don't count us out on 'saving your life'. Luthor doesn't have access to half the medical technology or information you need to survive! Plus there are magicians you can trust who'd help you out, _if_ you're really dying!"

"I am dying!"

"Yeah?! So am I!" That took everyone back a step, snapping them out of their trains of thoughts. "So is everyone else! From the day we are born we are dying! Leading cause of death: BIRTHS! It's always been a matter of time until each and every one of us die!

"What matters isn't whether or not we die, or when! But what we do with the time we have!" Robin shook as he berated the Kryptonian. No one could tell if he was livid or something else, but they imagined there was more to this when his voice cracked in the middle of his tirade. "We have to live each day to the fullest, without regrets, if we want our lives to be worth something! Lots of good people's lives are cut short for the smallest and stupidest of reasons, but does the fear of dying stop them from doing all they can?! Never! We do everything we can anyway! That is what it means to be a hero! Stepping up! Doing your best! And making every breath count! We need a life worth living!

"You can live in this gilded cage all you want for as long as you want as Luthor's pretty pet!" he shouted to high heaven. "Or you can leave it now with us and choose whatever life you want! Do whatever you want! Get a second opinion! And whatever medical attention you could possibly need! Which do you want?! A life of isolation with a megalomaniac dad telling you what to do and think all the time? Or a real life with friends, family, and a future you can control?"

Out of breath, the bird looked Superboy square in the eyes, hoping he got through to him. At least he was able to vent all the pent up frustration he didn't realize he had. They could see the internal battle now in their friend's mind, one that seemed to tear him apart inside. The clone barely managed to get out his last objection. "But... Lex is my dad. He's the only dad who'd ever-"

"Blood does not make family. I have no blood relatives but I have a big family." The statement sent them spinning once more. "And sometimes blood betrays you. Look at Artemis' family. Look at everything Luthor has done. Even Sportsmaster wouldn't manipulate and kill people to get her to talk to him. All Luthor wants is power, a raving sociopath. He'll do everything to get what he wants, even pretend to love someone. He's done it before."

The clone remained exactly where he was, just starting at him and doing nothing. No one could tell what he was thinking now, or even if he was. Miffed, Robin turned on his heel and started out the door. "Believe whatever you want. You want to stay here, fine."

"Robin!" The group started after him, surprised by all his outbursts. They hadn't seen him this agitated since M'gann crushed Mister Twister. Just like Conner, they couldn't tell what he was really thinking.

"If there's one thing I know about Kryptonians," he reiterated, "they're just as stubborn as bats. I'm not gonna get caught in the middle of a PR battle because he's freakin' confused! And if I'm gonna lose a friend to that... that kidnapper..." pain appeared on his face as they heard him speak, "I may as well walk away now."

He looked back to Kid Flash and Aqualad, annoyed. "You coming?"

"But..." The two boys exchanged worried looks, silently giving each other facial signals as a conflicted conversation, before sadly nodding and looking over to Conner. Kaldur offered his hand to him, smiling sadly. "Well, if this is your choice, let us end it on good terms my friend. Be happy and free in this life you have chosen, for however long it lasts."

"Dude, this sucks." KF grumbled to himself glaring away while Superboy just stared at them, dumbfounded. "First Rob goes missing, you go missing, Rob, Bats, and Supes argue, take all month to make up, we catch a lucky break, and now you want to stay? This royally sucks..."

"Conner?" M'gann came up next to him, her eyes pleading with tears. His decision was hitting her the hardest, and it tore at everyone seeing these two essentially breaking up. "Is this really what you want? To stay here? Away from us?"

Speechless, the clone didn't know what to do. They knew he didn't know what to say or do, but his mind seemed made up. They were only confusing him more than he was before. "I... I want to live."

"But is this really living? Was this," she waved a hand around the room, "really living? No friends? No family? No sunlight? Nothing but these walls and tests with doctors? Is this the life you really want?"

Silent, the teen looked around again, his eyes resting on the puzzle. The image of a warm farm looked up at them all, reminding him of everything he left behind. What did he want more? The life he left behind with adventures or a longer one in solitary?

_'We need a life worth living!'_

He could feel his friends starting to drift away, taking his silence as a sign that he wanted them to go. But the truth came out at last. With a jerk, he looked back over to them. "Hold on! I need to grab something first."

"Does that mean..." While the others' hearts raised at the exclamation, Robin smirked to himself just inside the doorway. He knew Conner would see the truth soon. He did when they first met, and he always had a good heart. He was just like Clark after all. As the clone turned and ran to collect whatever evidence he had about his 'medical condition' (which may or may not be real), M'gann started to celebrate. "We're all coming home!"

* * *

A/N: YAY! He's coming home! Tomorrow brings the aftermath then the epilogue. Personally I liked Robin's tirade. If anyone argues they're dying, you can always remind them that births lead to death. Eventually we all die, the end. Best accompanied with a 'so what' attitude. I'm not belittling critically ill people, just pointing out that eventually we all die, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't enjoy and cherish the time we have left. What is important is having a life we can be proud of and a legacy that will last. Maybe that's why we write stories so much, so we leave something of ourselves behind. Who knows.

As for Conner, well he's really confused and who can blame him. he even identified with Metallo! poor guy's so messed up in the head, he nearly didn't go with them. Thing is, he has the option of leaving on his own now and joining Lex. Will he? probably not any time soon. It'd take something huge for that to happen.

Anywho, I need to stop talking. Until tomorrow! ^^V


	29. Be a Candle, Or the Night

YAY! Second to last chapter! Be ready for exposition!

* * *

**29 - Be a Candle, Or the Night**

Lex Luthor looked around the vandalized apartment, gritting his teeth at the mess and what it implied. Superboy was gone. The clone... the son he worked so hard to get back from League hands, ended up walking right out the door with those super powered teenaged friends of his. And all because of the little bird boy's pep talk. Lionel was practically his, and one child's shouting match was all it took to reverse everything he'd done?

"Insufferable brat. I should have killed him too." Wincing, he replaced the cooling pack to his face. Both Batman and Superman paid him a visit while the kids worked their wonders on Metallo and the boy of steel. Batman mostly watched as Superman threw him around the room, though he did get a few punches in and gave him a mighty fine lecture. He was also certain the man downloaded all his files while he waited for his comrade to finish. Stupid flying rodent.

"Lex," Mercy came up to him with a sheet of paper, still sporting a few bruises from an earlier tussle. "This was left for you."

"Thank you Mercy." Waving her off, the CEO found a chair and started to read the note. It was addressed to him, and signed by his son. At least he had the manners to leave something behind.

_Lex Luthor,_

_I really don't know what to say to you right now to tell the truth. My head's a bit of a jumble. All I know is that I can't stay here anymore. I guess I want to say I'm sorry._

_I'm sorry I can't be the son you want. I can't live in isolation. I need to be with my friends and the family that I've made. I need to make my own way. It's just who I am._

_I'm sorry about your condition. I really am. I hope you can find the right woman and find what you're looking for soon. I think Mercy likes you so why not her?_

_I guess I want to also say thank you, for taking care of me and telling me what was going to happen one day. Not everything here was bad, so I'm really sorry for leaving like this. It was what made leaving so hard. But I need to make my life worth living. Rob said the League has more information on how my body should work so if anyone can find a way to help me out, they can. So I've got to go._

_Sorry we couldn't finish the puzzle together. The picture just reminded me of home too much. So I have to go now. Take care of yourself._

_Lionel Alexander Luthor AKA Superboy AKA Kon-El_

Lex read and reread the note several times before folding it up and putting it in his pocket. Giving a small, sad sigh, he looked over to the puzzle and saw where one piece fit perfectly. Reaching over, he took that piece and snapped it in half.

His son was gone, lost to some so-called heroes and a farm. They were going to get him killed. Fine. Let the kid learn the truth for himself. Superboy may be the enemy of the Light, but Lex Luthor would send no more harm that boy's way. If he stumbled and fell, that was not his problem, but he would not purposely hurt the boy.

Despite everything, he was still the lad's father, and he would do everything he could to make him see that clearly one say. One day Superboy would stand at his side, and the world would be theirs. But just right then, they were estranged, just like before.

Carefully he put the broken pieces into their spot, stood up, and walked away. Tomorrow was another day.

* * *

Conner sat in silence, ignoring the noises outside his room best he could. Though he chose his friends, the team, and the League over Lex Luthor's millions and attention, he was not quite ready to rejoin them quite yet. He still had to get his brain around everything that happened. About half his rescue party wanted to throw a victory/welcome back celebration as soon as they got back to Mount Justice, but the other half respected his privacy and kept them at bay. He suspected for those like the dynamic duo it was because of experience, but both Kaldur and M'gann could read him much better than the others. They knew he needed time to sort things out before he could be as happy as they were.

About half an hour after his return, he heard a light knock on his door. Sighing, the clone got up and unlocked it, letting the men in. Batman said earlier he would be debriefed around then after all, and Superman demanded to be there as well. His other genetic donor and decided brother was becoming rather protective because of all of this. Looking up at them, he could only hope they'd be patient and understanding. "Hey."

"Ready to talk?" Batman posing it as a question made it a bit humorous, but at that point, Conner couldn't bring himself to smile. Part of him just felt... dead. Like he left part of himself in that apartment.

He shrugged. "I can try."

"Let's go to the conference room," Superman insisted, taking one peak into Conner's small room. He chose it for himself last year, but no one really understood why. It was his small, personal place to think. Now it didn't feel quite right. He learned to sleep on a bed at long last. That'd make living with the Kents a little easier in the future.

The teen nodded, leaving his sanctuary. Batman took the lead while Superman stayed at his side, both happy and worried. Connor tried to smile for him, but the muscles on his face just wouldn't work. Why did he feel like he was on a tightrope and ready to cry at a moment's notice?

It didn't take long for them to get into the room they first told him about the deal last month, and even less time to secure the room. Batman led him to a chair, and for once sat down himself, staying on the same level as him. Superman stayed standing at his side, ready to support him. The youngest there took a deep breath as he sat in that chair, trying to relax his posture. The Bat watched him in silence for a good long minute before the lad decided to break it. "So... where do you want me to start?"

"Aqualad and Robin already gave their reports," the mortal told him right off. "Including those medical reports brought with you. Luthor said you're dying."

Blinking then swallowing, he nodded. "Yeah. He did."

"That your aging internally and externally are out of alignment, therefore shortening your life expectancy."

He nodded again, looking down as the news hit him again, just as hard as before. "He did."

Silence again filled the room. Conner could feel Kal-El's eyes on him, searching him with worry, but didn't do anything about it. He was used to being inspected like this now. But there was a spark of hope in him now. "Robin said though that Lex Luthor lies. He probably made it up."

"It's possible," Batman stated, "but the best manipulations hold an element of truth. Luthor is very good at taking a little truth and warping it to suit his needs." This grabbed the boy's complete attention, holding it firmly as the man continued to explain. "We have copies of Cadmus' cloning records and reports now, along with what Luthor's doctors gave you. In order to be certain if he is telling the truth or not, you're going to have to undergo more tests. For security sake, they will be on the Watchtower."

A pit reappeared in the clone's stomach. He honestly didn't like tests. "I see..."

"We'll have to stretch it out so you can continue your life as you wish," the man elaborated, lighting him up a bit, "and so the tests are conclusive, but we will get to the bottom of this Corner. That you have my word."

"If anything really is wrong," Superman promised, smiling at him, "we will be able to help. Between Martian medicine and the records I have, we can definitely find a way to fix this. Luthor may be smart, but he doesn't have the resources we do. And never will. You're in good hands here."

Hearing this from these two made the teen relax a little, drawing out a very small smile. He still didn't feel like this was over, and he doubted he ever would. Just what was wrong with him?! Batman must have seen his continued uneasiness and started talking again. "Robin also informed me of your initial refusal to leave and compassion for Metallo."

The uneasiness in Conner's stomach doubled at the implications, jolting him back around to look at the man. This could not be good. "I... I just..."

The knight held up a hand to silence him. "You don't have to explain. You were trapped there for a month with the impression of your death looming if you dared to leave. From the descriptions of the place, you had everything a normal teenager would want or need. When a person is confronted with their mortality as you were, they will latch on to almost anything that will give them hope. Luthor provided both the fear and the salvation you would need, effectively making an emotional and mental bond that was hard to break away from. And will continue to be difficult to deal with. What you are going through right now is quite normal."

"Really?" His heart started to settle at his words. What he was feeling, how he responded, was normal? Well, maybe not completely normal, but for his situation, who knew?

"Quite. Prolonged captives have the most difficulty returning to normal lives, especially if they stopped seeing themselves as prisoners." Reaching over to an end table nearby, he took a spiral bound notebook and pen and passed them over to him. "Canary will be working closely with you soon and set up counseling sessions to help you move through your feelings at your own pace, but I would also like you to write down everything about your time there in here. Everything that happened, everything that was said, and anything you felt.

"When a full and detailed account is completed, I want this returned to me. At which point," he looked him in the eye as he gave his order, "you can return to active duty with the team."

"What?!" "Batman! You can't be serious!" Both Kryptonians jerked forward at his ultimatum, not liking the idea of him being benched.

"Until we know he is able to think clearly and have worked through this, it is not wise for Connor to go into the field. It's bad for the team and it's bad for him." Batman looked at Superman square in the eye as he made his position clear. "I still don't let Robin take on Two-Face if I can help it, and that was two years ago. He was completely benched for three months after that fiasco, and since then he hasn't been able to make any clear judgments around the man. Two-Face held him captive twice since, and those triggered relapses."

"Robin's still a kid!"

"Connor's only a year old."

That stopped everyone, realizing the truth. Despite his apparent maturity, the clone was even more a child than any of his teammates. Batman was trying to help him. He didn't want any permanent scarring from this event, and he didn't want anyone to get hurt in the process. He looked at the teen once again, making sure he got the message. "You're not banned from the mountain or your friends, just from missions. And until next year at the earliest, you need to stay away from anything related to Lex Luthor, got it?"

When his answer was silence, he tried another tactic. "This isn't a punishment Conner. It's medical leave. After today I'm going into lockdown again for overtaxing my body. Robin and a few other associates enforce this whether I like it or not. This journal will count as your report and there isn't a deadline for it unlike the others'. It'll organize your thoughts, which I believe you need right now. When you're ready, we want you to come back.

"Are we in agreement?"

Batman was done explaining himself, and both of them knew it. It was time to either go with it or go against him. Honestly, Conner didn't know which way to go for a minute, but with the clarification, he felt like he had more direction then than during his entire imprisonment. He took the notebook, nodding. "So... I can go anywhere I want?"

"I recommend not going to Metropolis, Gotham, or Bludhaven for a while," Batman stated evenly, "but yes."

"Recommend?" Superman raised an eyebrow at his comrade. "You're not ordering him to stay out of your city?"

"He did rather well as an impromptu partner," the man rebutted. Finally he stood up, straightening his cape. "Keep it up and you might get a free pass Superboy."

"That's encouraging." A smile started to grow on his face. He really was trusted by the one who trusted nobody. Funny.

The detective grunted before shifting. "I never got to thank you for saving Robin's life earlier."

"You don't have to." Conner pushed himself out of his seat, knowing the 'debriefing' was over. The guilt at an earlier thought dissipated as he said the clear truth. "I'd do anything to keep my friends safe."

The adults nodded, both smiling graciously in their own ways. A thought struck the lad before they could leave the room. "Hey, Robin said something before that got me curious."

"Which was?"

"That he didn't have any blood relatives." He looked over Batman again, trying to find any traits the two of them shared. They had plenty of similar quirks but...

"He doesn't." The Bat opened the door and started heading out, needing to be chased by the aliens. "The last one died in the hospital almost five years ago."

"So that means Robin's adopted." This went against everything he was thinking all this time. Nearly everyone believed Robin was his literal son because of how close they were. To think their strong link came from anything but blood. His old logic was making him feel like a complete idiot.

"Some of the best families are." The Bat inclined his head to the two of them before smirking. "There's an elderly couple waiting for their boys to return home in Kansas. Don't keep them waiting."

The almost mocking look on his face as he left the farm boys brought out small laughs and smiles from them. Yeah, Ma and Pa were waiting for their sons, whom they wouldn't trade for anything. And you know what? They wouldn't want it any other way.

* * *

A/N: Seriously I spent 30 minutes making some ending notes that were awesome and the site decided to log me out and delete it all. Not happy. B[ I'll try to remember what I wrote.

I think the question of whether Lex loves Conner as his son is now answered: he does. Someone informed me that on askgreg he said he did, and I remember reading that in the comics that he always thought of Superboy as his son. Lex has never gone out of his way to hurt the clone and has often worked from the background to save him. Still, it's a bit disheartening for the guy; his son never loves him back (unless he turns evil which isn't in this timeline).

As for Conner, he's confused but at least with the League he can get a second and third opinion about things, and honestly he can go back to Lex willingly with the team/League helpless to do anything. Lex didn't give him that option. Is his condition real? That's for tomorrow's epilogue. After that, this story is done. If i have inspired ideas through this, or you want to read an alternate version of this, please write it yourself. This guy is done and I've got a lot of other stories I _really_ need to work on. I can edit them if you want, but I'm not writing another from this concept anytime soon (or likely ever).

Anywho, check out the last chapter tomorrow! ^^V


	30. Epilogue- Always In Motion Is the Future

And here we have it! The end of the story! Thank you for reading and now, love the end of it.

* * *

**Epilogue - Always In Motion Is the Future**

**_Four Years Later_**

_Recognized - Nightwing B01_

_Recognized - Robin B20_

"And this is Mount Justice!" Nightwing strode forward without a care in the world, eagerly showing off their home base to the third boy to bear the Robin name. Batman finally cleared the new bird to join the team, despite his young age. Considering they were already housing a thirteen year old shapeshifter, bringing someone even younger wasn't too bad. "Home of the brave, land of the- are you alright?"

Robin raised a hand slowly, clutching his stomach and bent over a bit while swallowing something down. "Fine... Fine..."

"No you're not." The original bird came over to his side and checked his forehead. "You're looking a little peckish."

"No, I'm good." The younger bird tried to wave him off. "Keep going."

"Not in your life. You're sitting down, right now. Come on." Carefully he took a hold of the boy's arm and half dragged him into the common room to rest on the couch. M'gann was out doing some shopping while Connor and Gar stayed behind. Only the clone was in the room though, reading a book for his literature class and seemingly not caring what was going on beyond it. The TV was still blaring the static channel, like always. "It takes a few trips through the tubes for some people to get used to it. Bats still gets a little queasy."

"How long did it take you?" The boy gladly sat down after hearing their mentor had problems. It sparked some interest from Superboy as well, looking up at last. Though the new Robin was expected to come today, he wasn't too enthused with the idea of another boy wonder. The last one was a bit of a brat, and that got him into a lot of trouble. It was that quality which probably got him killed. Who knew how the new kid would turn out.

"Oh I never had a problem." The young man grinned impishly at his successor, getting an eye roll from his teammate and a glare from the lad.

"Sometimes I hate you."

"No you don't. You love me to bits. Oh! And this is a reunion long overdue!" Nightwing grinned impishly at the two of them, confusing them both. Reunion? "Robin, meet Superboy. Superboy, Robin the third. The newest member of our team."

"Nice to meet you." Robin reflexively stood up to shake the clone's hand, only to tip back over and fall back onto the couch. "Whoa..."

Both of the heroes jerked up and over to him, a little worried. "You okay?" "Okay! Sit right back down kiddo."

"Seriously, I'm fine." The kid pouted up to the two. "Stop babying me Di- Nightwing."

"You'll always be a cute little baby to me kiddo." His comrade grinned impishly. "I knew you in diapers."

"I was well out of diapers when we first met!" Robin's face turned bright red, whether out of anger or embarrassment it was hard to tell. Still the kid stayed where he was, obeying their instruction. Getting teased by his longtime friend and reacting like this, Conner was starting to like this kid. Or pity him. Same thing when it came to their favorite bird.

"Suuuure you were."

The kid must have rolled his eyes behind his mask, forcing himself to let it go. "Whatever. What did you mean by reunion?"

Superboy looked over to Nightwing curiously, remembering what he said again. It really was a weird statement. "Yeah Wing. What were you talking about? I don't remember meeting this Robin before. No offense."

"None taken. I can't remember meeting you either."

"Yes you do, and yes you did." Nightwing was grinning so much from some inside joke, it annoyed them both greatly. What on earth was he talking about? "It was about four years ago, only for a few minutes, and it was that little meeting that gave us the answers we were looking for. It'll come back to you soon. Lionel."

While the acrobat strode over to the kitchen to fetch some drinks, the two of them racked their brains for answers. The name struck a chord with the clone in an instant. Other than one time while in Lex Luthor's custody four years ago, Conner never went by that name. It brought back too many confusing thoughts and memories, reminding him of his inevitable future.

It turned out Luthor was telling the truth. The League and other doctors verified the man's findings, all coming to the same conclusion. His insides were aging quickly while his outsides stayed the same, and forever would. League and Martian medicines were given to the best S.T.A.R. Labs doctors to find some kind of cure, but thus far they had nothing. Well they were still trying to cure cancer without killing the immune system or cutting parts out of people. Things like this just took time.

Thankfully it didn't take as much time getting over his attachment to Lex Luthor. Batman kept him out of the team's missions for about two months, but Canary recommended a little longer. Connor was still unsure about whether Luthor was a decent human being until the November of that year. They didn't realize the man had organized a country town's genocide until they unearthed all the details on one mission. Seeing whole families' mangled corpses courtesy LexCorp operatives made him sick to his stomach, burning away the image of a family man for good.

In fact, coupled with his imprisonment induced attachment, he hated the guy more now than before. He felt betrayed. He never thought of that man as his father again, just as a genetic donor.

Being forced to remember that timeframe, he glared at his friend. "That's a low blow Wing."

"It wasn't a blow." Nightwing took two soda's out of the fridge, thought twice about it, and took out a third, the last one being Connor's favorite. "Just... a less than friendly reminder to jog your memory. Sorry for turbing you."

They could hear Robin snort, getting both of their attention. The kid shook his head, smirking at the play on words. Well at least he liked it. The last Robin didn't. "Right. Turbing. Four years ago?"

"Yep."

"You sure?" The newest bird cocked his head to the side, clearly trying to remember. "I mean, I was... like eight."

"Just turning eight actually." The man grinned at him as he came back with their drinks, passing one to each of them. "I remember doing flips at your party."

"You two've known each other that long?" The thought blared at Conner as he popped his can open.

"Longer." Nightwing grinned as he explained. "This guy was there the night I started on this path. We met only hours before. How old were you?"

"Three." The kid shook his head ruefully, just holding his can. "And that night haunted me for years after."

"Yeah, this kid was a pretty scrawny guy since the beginning." He winked over to his friend, trying to edge him on. "Sharp as a tack and always asking for me to do tricks. Sometimes I wondered if I was your dog."

"No, just the funny babysitter." The impish smirk on the kid's face reminded Conner of how Nightwing was back in his Robin days. Well if they grew up together, it was no wonder they acted a bit the same.

"Not cool Bro." He sighed, shaking his head as he swallowed a sip. "Seriously, you two have met before. I wasn't there, but you told me all about it. At that party. You were looking at my phone and-"

"That guy at the hospital?!" Robin looked over to Superboy, donning coming to his eyes just as an idea came to him. That guy at the hospital? Could this kid be... Pointing, the boy's jaw dropped. "You were that guy I ran into when I was lost at that hospital? The one living in intensive care?!"

"Wait..." Gaping at the bird, Conner put the pieces in place. "You were that kid? The one who wandered in looking for the bathroom?"

"And you held open the green glowing door in order for me to leave." Finally they recognized each other. They had met, but Robin was a little kid then and his memory of the incident wasn't that good. He grew a lot since then. "I thought..."

"No way..." The clone looked over the kid for a moment more before smirking and breaking into a real smile. "You've really grown."

"Course he has." Nightwing looked like he was on the verge of laughing at the two of them. "It's been four years. He's a tween now. Still got some growing to do, but he's much bigger than before. Way too old for me to babysit him anymore. Le sigh..."

His audience rolled their eyes, still smiling slightly at each other. Both of them knew how much of a drama queen this guy could be and just let him be. Still the older bird continued, filling them in on the missing bit they didn't know. "After your chance meeting, Robin here saw your picture on my phone. It was a wonderful stroke of luck really, but if it never happened, it'd be _forever_ before we got you out of that place."

"I thought that was a hospital for seriously sick people." Robin looked over Conner curiously, almost like a bird looking at someone and expecting food. "What were you doing there?"

Smiling sadly, the clone started the long explanation with a deflecting statement. "It's complicated, but I was being held captive there by Lex Luthor who owned the building. I'm not sick."

"Clearly. You look pretty healthy to me." That gained a rueful chuckle from the Kryptonian, which only confused the lad. Whether or not to tell him all the gruesome details was up for debate. Maybe he'd read all about it in one of Batman's files.

Something on Nightwing beeped, pulling the guy's attention away. Quickly he brought up his holo-computer screen and checked whatever popped up. Glaring at the screen, he groaned. "Great."

"What is it?"

"Bats sent me an email reminding me to finish my latest report."

Robin snorted softly again, stopping himself from laughing. Strange kid. "Well he has complained about them being missing lately."

"And he wants it now." Rolling his eyes, the young man shook his head. This clearly was not the way he wanted that day to go. "Great. His timing's perfect with everything but personal business." For a moment he looked between the two of them, then shrugged. "Mind showing Robin around the cave while I write this up? You can exchange stories and compare notes, but please don't get too personal. He's twelve."

"Bit protective aren't you?" Superboy smirked at his friend playfully. Sure he'd show the kid around. They might even talk about the old days. Mostly though, he just wanted to move on from what happened all those years ago.

"Can you blame me?" He looked over to the little bird to make sure he was fine. "Stomach happy again?"

"Pretty much. I'll be fine." Robin inclined his head towards the door. "Go get that report done."

"10-4." Nightwing gave a mock salute and headed out. "Remember, beee gooood."

"Naturally." Finally alone, the boy stretched and got to his feet, smiling at his impromptu tour guide. "So... I guess we really do meet again."

"Guess so." It was kind of funny. Back when he was imprisoned, Conner worried about what would happen to that mysterious boy who wandered into his apartment and walked right back out of it. Now he knew. He became a hero like the rest of them. More than that, he became the third surrogate son of the Bat, Nightwing's (not really) new little brother. He seemed much calmer and more stable than the previous one too. Maybe things would go much better with this guy. "Glad to see you're doing alright."

"Glad you are too."

Waving a hand towards the rest of the cave, the strange son of two worlds started giving a tour to the new child of the League. "Shall we?"

"Lets."

END

* * *

A/N: And there you have it. The end. Yes it's been fun but that's all folks. I brought the question to a close too. Conner does have that aging problem (in this world, not necessarily cannon) but if he, say... gets age swapped with someone else, the problem will fix itself. Does that happen here? No. But since it was done in the 'Sins of youth' arch in the original YJ series, you know it can be fixed. Will I be fixing it? nope! That's someone else's job. I also brought Timmy back into the light here, making it so Conner and he could start a _friend_ship, something that was so royally missing from the TV series. *sigh* how sad. anywho, it happens here! YAY!

All that aside, thank you one and all for reading 'A Son For A Son' and enjoying it. Could I have dragged it out longer, sure, but it's fine as it is. I wanted to do something more focused on Superboy for once and I thought this would help. I also wanted to improve on my villains since I keep having trouble with them so doing Lex and making him more human and make you question whether he was really evil or not for a while was a real challenge. So glad I pulled him off. Now if only I can do the same with Slade... Villains are hard for me, so this was great practice. I really do prefer writing a fluff scene to a combat scene, so this was some nice middle ground. Also wanted to make a likeable character I could kill off. If you take a look at my other stories, I have a very low body count. The whole novelet was a growing experience for me. Hopefully I'll be able to apply what I've learned in other works, both here and for future publication.

Again, thank you all for reading, and keep an eye open for my other fics that will be coming eventually. I have a poll up for future stories and brief summaries of ideas on my profile. Other works can be found there and on my deviantart page under the same pen name. Keep an eye out for me, because I'm not done by a long shot. And don't forget to stop watching and fave this fic on your lists. ^^V


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